The Alliance for African Women Initiative (AFAWI) celebrated International Women’s Day 2023 with a bang. The event was themed “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality”, with a sub-theme of “Five Years of Digital Support Credit Repayment- Money as a Tool for Women Empowerment”. The event brought together women from all the regions of Ghana and the diaspora to celebrate their achievements and discuss the role of technology in achieving gender equality. The event was held at the Presbyterian Women’s Training Centre, Abokobi-Accra.
The event was expertly hosted by the charming and talented Master of Ceremony, Evelyn Koomson. The program began with a cultural drumming and dancing performance by the participants, which set the tone for the rest of the event. This was followed by a presentation by Mr. Philip Kwesi Agyei, the managing director of AFAWI, who spoke extensively about AFAWI and its achievements over the years.
The main speaker for the event was Dr. Felicia Odame, a Senior Lecturer (RTD) at the University of Development Studies (UDS). Dr. Odame’s talk focused on how women can take advantage of technology and digitization to improve their businesses, with a special emphasis on mobile money and financial literacy using IT tools. The aim of the talk was to bridge the gap between men and women and empower women to use technology to increase their financial literacy and independence.
Dr. Odame’s talk was followed by a presentation by Marlene Keller, the Deputy Programs Director of AFAWI. Keller spoke about how AFAWI has supported over 2,000 women since 2013, and how digitization has made it easier for them to provide micro-credit support to women using mobile money. This presentation highlighted the impact of technology on women’s economic empowerment.
The final speaker of the event was Mrs. Rosekel Omenyo, who encouraged women not to despise the help of men in their lives and to encourage them to do more. This talk focused on the importance of building supportive relationships and partnerships in achieving gender equality.
The event provided a platform for women to network, share ideas, and build relationships that will help them in their businesses and careers. The Alliance for African Women Initiative (AFAWI) demonstrated their commitment to women’s empowerment through their support for women entrepreneurs.
In conclusion, the International Women’s Day event organized by the Alliance for African Women Initiative (AFAWI) was a great success. The theme of the event, “DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality”, highlighted the importance of using technology to achieve gender equality. The cultural drumming and dancing performance, the excellent Master of Ceremony, Evelyn Koomson, and the insightful talks by Dr. Felicia Odame, Marlene Keller, and Mrs. Rosekel Omenyo made the event truly memorable. The event served as a reminder of the importance of celebrating women and empowering them to achieve their full potential through technology and innovation.