LUSAKA, Zambia, May 15, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Almas Jiwani Foundation, represented by its CEO, Almas Jiwani, delivered a keynote address titled Empowering Women in Technology and ICT4D, specially in Africa at the 10th annual ICT4D Conference, at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka, Zambia. In the address, Ms. Jiwani stressed the importance of empowering women in technology, touching on three main areas of focus in Africa, namely the digital financial inclusion of women, humanitarian response, and the importance of women in the agriculture sector.
“Women NEED to be given access to education that strengthens their grasp of information and communication technology; women NEED to be seen as leaders and mentors in this space; women NEED to be involved in the development of technology that can increase their participation in microenterprises fostering a spirit of entrepreneurship that ultimately creates their economic independence. Recognizing existing gender gaps in many regions of the world, information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) have been widely proposed as a medium through which women can be empowered,” said Ms Jiwani
The three-day Conference was attended by more than 300 organizations from both public and private sectors on the one hand, and civil society organizations from humanitarian and international development communities on the other; all from more than 80 countries. The Conference offered its attendees a unique opportunity to discover and learn how others around the world are using Information & Communications Technology for Development (ICT4D), with applications aimed at enhancing the quality of development programmes, improving procedures for decision making, increasing impact and expanding reach, and, last but not least, accelerating progress towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Commenting on the Conference, the Vice President for Overseas Operations at the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Michele Broemmelsiek, said: “We are grateful for Almas Jiwani’s participation in the ICT4D Conference this year. It is an incredibly important event for us at CRS. In so much of our work, ICT4D plays a vital role in women’s empowerment and in strengthening their roles in the community. We’ve seen this many times at ICT4D this year. Whether it is women volunteering as health workers to improve health and nutrition, or women taking advantage of digital financial solutions to save time and travel on some things like paying school fees, ICT4D is creating real positive impact. Technology really can, and is, changing women’s lives for the better and the whole community benefits from this.”
“We believe that we can actively promote the independence of young women and girls around the globe by supporting advances in technology and education that will allow girls and women to flourish in the local and global economy,” said Ms Jiwani
AJF is eternally grateful to Mr. Birhan Abate (country manager Canada) of Ethiopian Airlines-one of the continent's leading carriers, and to Zambia High Commission in Canada for their continued support and encouragement to provide an enduring platform for AJF to continue launching its initiatives in creating a better world
About the Almas Jiwani Foundation
The vision of the Almas Jiwani Foundation is to empower women, girls and marginalized communities through focused projects that directly address disparities in equality, education, entrepreneurship and energy rights. The Foundation aims to bridge inequalities through the fostering of relationships among the various actors and stakeholders in global issues, and to provide a platform for discourse and action.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Almas Jiwani Foundation
Naline Rampersan, VP, Public Relations
Basel Ismaiel, Director of Strategy
(613) 234-8252
info@almasjiwanifoundation.org
www.almasjiwanifoundation.org
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
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