SWE Africa hosted its fifth International Women’s Day (IWD) event on March 29 with the theme “Accelerate Action.”
“Accelerate Action” is an international initiative to recognize and promote the use of tactics, tools, and initiatives that have a positive influence on women’s empowerment. Despite the continued existence of obstacles to gender equality, women worldwide can make progress if we take the proper steps.
This theme also highlights how critical it is to act quickly and forcefully to obtain gender equality. In order to accelerate the global rate of advancement, we must emphasize greater urgency in tackling the systemic biases that women encounter in their personal and professional lives.
To kick off the event, IWD Chair Chinyere Nnnena Igwegbe welcomed attendees and highlighted the critical role of women’s empowerment in society. She noted existing challenges, including access to education and cultural norms that hinder women’s progress. Chinyere emphasized the need to dismantle barriers, increase educational access, and enhance mentorship to foster an equitable future for women in Africa.
Next, SWE Africa Chair Enia Kakombu called for continued advocacy for women’s inclusion in STEM, mentorship, and policies supporting workplace gender diversity. She urged participants to drive change in engineering in Africa and globally to help ensure inclusivity for all women and girls.
Stella Uzochukwu-Denis, SWENext African lead, presented on the topic, “Navigating the Tech Age: The Benefits of Joining SWENext.” Stella described how SWENext helps launch STEM careers for students aged 8 to 18 through mentorship, networking, scholarships, and hands-on training. Stella also highlighted the SWENext Magazine, which featured a young Nigerian girl who is inspiring confidence and honing her public speaking skills. Parents and teachers who attended the meeting were encouraged to promote SWENext to help with students’ soft skills, developing leadership skills, and accessing SWE’s global network.
The webinar featured four breakout rooms. The first breakout room started with the topic “Corruption, Accountability and Gender: Understanding the Underlying Connection as a Professional,” presented by Mwansa Kabemba, a skilled professional with over 20 years of experience in electrical engineering, project coordination, and tender bidding.
Mwansa spoke about how to navigate through a male-dominated world with integrity and professionalism. She emphasized that women need to be resilient, confident, and knowledgeable of their worth. She then concluded with a call to action, telling participants to stay determined despite challenges, build strong networks, and always advocate for fairness and equity.
The second topic was “Innovation and Food Security: Precision Farming Irrigation and Hydroponics,” presented by Gladys Etema Igomu, a pioneering farmer and entrepreneur dedicated to global food security. With more than eight years of experience in innovative farming, Gladys cultivates high-quality crops, trains farmers on best practices, shares expertise through workshops, and empowers individuals to grow their own food. She introduced participants to innovations in irrigation and precision farming that promote food security, including greenhouse farming, hydroponics, and vertical farming.
In the second breakout room, Winifred Ereyi spoke on the topic “The Dark Side of Peer Pressure: How Social Influence Fuels Substance Abuse Among Young People.” She described peer pressure and its effects, including the impact of social influence, the challenges, and how to curb substance use as a society.
The second speaker, Sylvia Kelechi, presented her topic, “Future Ready Tech Skills for Africa’s Digital Transformation.” She highlighted several beneficial skills, including machine learning, AI, and programming languages. She also elaborated on how Africa can leverage these skills for development, whether through engaging online or at in-person trainings.
The third breakout room featured speaker Phalessy Ngoma and her topic, “Environmental Sustainability – Waste to Wealth: Turning Trash to Treasure.” Phalessy outlined waste-related problems, including our global waste crisis – we produce over 2 billion tons of waste annually – and the impacts of a rising population on pollution and climate change.
She offered solutions for women to drive change by converting waste into valuable resources, including waste-to-energy conversion, increased recycling, and promoting sustainability. Phalessy’s key takeaway for participants was that waste should be viewed as a potential hidden resource. Small actions can lead to big impacts.
The fourth breakout room started with the topic “The Future of Work: Preparing Your Child for Emerging Opportunities” presented by Emerald Akhaumere. She talked about the importance of work, learning technologies, and emerging opportunities.
She also emphasized the need to shift from rote memorization to hands-on learning through STEM activities. Making STEM fun and engaging is key, and students should join platforms like SWENext and FIRST Robotics. She concluded with advising parents to invest in their children’s education and actively seek out opportunities in technology to help their children prepare for future careers in an evolving job market.
Finally, the last topic was “The Impact of Electronic Gadgets on Young Children’s Development and Their Well-Being,” presented by Ophelia Fernandez. Fernandez highlighted the benefits and drawbacks of social media and electronic gadgets. She stressed that while technology can aid learning through educational apps and interactive tools, excessive screen time impacts children’s health.
Parents can help by setting screen time limits, encouraging outdoor and creative activities, using parental controls, and more. By balancing online and offline activities, children can use technology responsibly while maintaining their social and emotional well-being.
The event was a huge success thanks to the efforts of SWE Africa. Each speaker contributed thoughtfully to the theme “Accelerate Action” by presenting numerous solutions to complex problems affecting women around the world. Together, women can empower each other to make the world a more equitable place.
