NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Monday, December 11, 2017

Africa has recently been a launchpad for new technology developments. But as progress is being made, advancement for African women in the industry is still lacking. Judith Owigar, 32, saw this firsthand and decided to help other young women have a chance.

When Owigar attended college in Nairobi, she was one of a few women in her technology classes. This motivated her to pursue her passion for technology and she created her first business seven years ago.

She successfully launched the nonprofit Akirachix with Angela Lungati, Linda Kamau, and Marie Githinji in 2010. For one year, 30 girls learn software and coding programs and explore graphic design as well as app development. The program focuses on recruiting girls from low-income areas that may not have the opportunity to pursue an education beyond high school.

“How do we increase the pipeline of women entering the field of technology? So one of the things we realized is, number one, we need to have more women thinking and deciding to do technology careers,” said Owigar.

Photo courtesy of Remko van Dokkum.