Larisa Akrofie, a programme partner in TVET and Skills at Mastercard Foundation, has urged women with aspirations in the tech space to make use of the support groups.
Speaking during the EdTech Monday segment on the Citi Breakfast Show, Larisa Akrofie said, “it is so incredibly helpful to have a group of people with whom you can share your experiences with.”
She noted that this was important because of a gender ratio in tech skewed towards men.
“Because of the gender ratio in tech, you find yourself being the only female in a class or in a meeting at work, and the support that comes with finding others in similar situations really goes a long way to help with that isolation,” she said.
Larisa Akrofie also urged women to favour firms that value diversity during their work in the tech space.
“When you go for an interview, ask them straight up what their perspectives on diversity are and don’t settle on the PR speak,” she advised.
EdTech Monday is an initiative of the Mastercard Foundation Regional Centre for Teaching and Learning in ICT.
This edition was on celebrating women in tech.
About MEST
MEST offers Africa-wide technology entrepreneur training, internal seed funding, and a network of hubs providing incubation for technology startups in Africa. Founded in Ghana in 2008, MEST provides critical skills training, funding, and support in software development, business, and communications to Africa’s tech entrepreneurs.
Hubs are located in Accra, Ghana; Lagos, Nigeria; Cape Town, South Africa; and Nairobi, Kenya.
To date, MEST has trained over 500 entrepreneurs from across the continent and invested in over 80 startups across industries from SaaS and consumer internet, to eCommerce, Digital Media, Agritech, Fintech and Healthcare IT.
MEST is primarily funded by the Meltwater Foundation, the non-profit arm of Meltwater, a global leader in media intelligence and Outside Insight.