september-2018

42 / TREND / Technology
TREND / 43
E-quality
A growing number of FEMALE PIONEERS
are building unique, high-impact businesses that
are shaking up the tech. world, while showing how
equality improves quality.
text Andrea Dijkstra
“Including more women
in the tech. industry
increases diversity of
thought”
TECHNOLOGY HAS permeated
much of society nowadays, thanks to
emerging developments like mobile
money, mobile health and e-commerce.
It has also become a vital aspect in other
sectors, including communications, agriculture,
energy, education and banking.
At the same time, a growing number of
African women are thriving in the
industry, where they’re making a real
impact through entrepreneurship and
innovation. But it’s been a long road.
A MAN’S WORLD
In the past, the near absence of
female voices at the drawing board had
some pervasive effects, which social
scientist Jane Margolis and computer
scientist and educator Allan Fisher
describe in their book, Unlocking the
Clubhouse: Women in Computing. A
predominantly male group of engineers,
for example, tailored the first generation
of automotive airbags to adult males,
an oversight that led to the deaths of
women and children. A similar group
designed artificial heart valves according
to the male heart, which is bigger and less
fragile than a woman’s. Today, the female
voice is understood to be essential to the
development of technologies because of
the balance women bring to the process.
Including more women in the tech.
industry increases diversity of thought,
which is widely linked to positive outcomes,
such as greater innovation.
A study conducted by the American
Association of University Women found
that gender diversity contributed to the
“collective intelligence” of the group.
According to US research paper, Is the
Pain Worth the Gain?, while homogenous
groups feel more confident in their
performance and group interactions, it’s
diverse groups that are more successful
in completing their tasks.
Furthermore, the addition of more
women in tech. companies can be a real
asset because they help to increase collaboration.
According to gender stereotypes,
as understood in the psychology field,
women have a better understanding than
men about when to share the spotlight,
because pride – a dominant emotion
among men – is much less prevalent
among women, who tend to feel more
guilt, shame and embarrassment.
While women are advancing in the
tech. field now more than ever, according
to the World Economic Forum’s Global
Gender Gap Report 2017, they’re still
underrepresented in the global tech.
workforce. In the US, for example, women
filled 47 percent of all jobs in 2015, >
Name
Joanitah Nalubega
Born
1990
Position
Cofounder of DrugDash and member of
AfriGal Technologies
Location
Kampala, Uganda
Goal in life
Enable health equality
Fun facts
Loves extreme sports such as bungee
jumping, abseiling waterfalls, zip
lining, parasailing, and white-water
rafting
Highlights
Next Einstein Forum Ambassador to
Uganda (2017-2019)
Leo Africa Institute’s Young and
Emerging Leaders Project Fellow
(2016/2017)
Alamy