Country Manager, ALX Nigeria, Ruby Igwe, has urged women in technology to put aside their differences and deepen common interests to collaborate for greater achievements. Igwe was a lead panellist at a conference organised by Women in Tech Nigeria, in partnership with MTN Nigeria.
While speaking on the topic, ‘Cultivating inclusive tech communities: Empowering the Next Generation,’ Igwe highlighted the importance of not only attracting women to teach courses but also ensuring they complete them to advance their careers.
She identified common challenges faced by women, including financial constraints, childcare responsibilities, geographic limitations, marital commitments and personal setbacks.
She said: “If we are talking about bringing more women to the table, we must understand the different pain points and nuances that shape women’s participation in tech development. We have situations where women enroll for a tech programme, and they never finish because of different family challenges.”
What we do at ALX is to provide support systems that will allow for equality.”
She noted that most women suffer from personal mental barriers. “The biggest challenge is the mental limitations that most women put on themselves. They must seek support systems from other women and even men, instead of competing against one another and hampering their chances of securing more opportunities even in nuanced positions,” she noted.
