“It is impossible to overstate the importance of women in
the growth of any nation, state, or community. This is to reiterate the
critical role that women’s education plays in long-term national development,
which begins at home.
Women are frequently observed to be the children’s first
teachers at home. A mother’s influence on upbringing in any developing country,
and the empowerment of women, has a significant impact on key developmental
outcomes like health, education, reproductive patterns, income level, and other
factors,” said Dr Mahmood.
While a report from PWC in April 2020 states that 41% of
micro-businesses in Nigeria are owned by women, a report in EFInA stated that
55% of the financially excluded adults in Nigeria are women, and of the 25.1
million financially excluded in the north, 13.1 million are women.
Business transactions are largely cash within informal
channels, as business funds are kept at home because financial institutions are
concentrated in the state capital, while poor record-keeping from transacting
through informal channels in turn hampers eligibility for credit.
The previous census, which was performed in 2006, indicated
that women made up around 49.7% of the population of Nigeria. Despite this,
Nigerian women (particularly those in the northern region) have not been able
to change the long-standing status that society accords to women.
There are a number of reasons why women in Northern Nigerian
society are treated unequally, the majority of which can be linked to the
patriarchal system in place and the general lack of gender awareness among the
rural population, including women who have been socialized to accept their
subordinate position.
However, with better access to information online, women
have developed a greater sense of awareness. Online educational content, blogs
videos and social media tools have given women access to a virtual world that
provides them with opportunities for self-expression.
Digital platforms are aiming to be more inclusive than ever
before in light of the changing political conscience. It is now essential, not
simply an option, to guarantee women’s safety, inclusivity, and a voice at all
intersections.
Through online workspaces, more women have recently been
able to achieve financial independence. There are now more jobs available for
women thanks to specific job postings on numerous online portals.
Housewives or moms who have taken extended absences from the
workforce now have access to special possibilities to re-enter the workforce.
Many websites provide part-time and full-time occupations that people can
undertake from home.
In Northern Nigeria, Startup AREWA and Financial Service
Innovation (FSI) organized a virtual hackathon on financial inclusion amongst
female entrepreneurs within the northern region by proffering simple and
easy-to-use fintech solutions to increase more of their participation in
setting up businesses.
The innovative solutions developed from this hackathon were
able to tackle the challenges faced by unbanked and underbanked female
entrepreneurs in Northern Nigeria.
Dr. Marliyyah reveals how women now have access to a wide
range of created opportunities online as a result of technology advancements.
“Technology has helped women affirm their freedom of expression and right to
the workforce, which they frequently find difficult to accomplish. This is a
really great achievement that shows how it can be utilized to empower those
with disadvantaged identities.
“However, it must not be overlooked that having internet
access is necessary in order to take use of these virtual prospects. How many
women and members of underrepresented groups actually have access to such
technology is still an open subject. To ensure that intersectional gaps are
filled and that technology and the internet are more widely available,
intervention is necessary in this context.”
Startup AREWA was established to organize, empower and
promote the Northern Nigeria technology and Startup Ecosystem, with the
overarching goal of using technology and startups as a strategy to combat
unemployment and poverty across the Northern Nigeria.
From the first Bootcamp at Bello Memorial Foundation Hall in
Kaduna to a series of over 20 Bootcamps across Northern Nigeria, engaging over
5000 Startups with support from innovators and public-private leaders, Startup
AREWA is implementing its strategic plan of promoting and providing real-time
support to Startups.