How COVID-19 Became a Digital Wake-Up Call
When COVID-19 struck, it disrupted economies and exposed deep inequalities in access to digital opportunities, particularly for African women relying on informal skills. The pandemic underscored the necessity of digital proficiency, yet many African women lacked access to the tools, training, and platforms essential for transitioning their expertise into sustainable online careers. This crisis highlighted a crucial point: lacking tech experience should not equate to lacking opportunities.
The belief that a digital career requires a technical background is a myth. Many digital roles align with the problem-solving, creativity, processes, and communication skills that women already utilize in their informal work. So, what is the challenge?
As Amina J. Mohammed, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, emphasized at #ECW.
“The COVID-19 crisis, in combination with the existing global digital divide, has posed considerable challenges for addressing the learning crisis. The pandemic has presented an additional risk of deepening the global education divide and losing the gains made so far.”
She further noted that reliance on new technologies during the crisis highlighted the importance of investing in resilient, open, inclusive, and flexible education systems.
“The technology to reach everyone, everywhere is available. It’s up to all of us to ensure that we can scale up these solutions at all levels.”
However, for many in Africa, the barrier extends beyond technology itself; it includes the lack of access, training, and structured pathways to translate skills into digital opportunities.
The Numbers Speak for Themselves:
43% of African women lack access to digital opportunities, widening the gender economic gap (worldbank.org)
By 2030, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) estimates that over 230 million jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills. If we fail to close the gender gap in digital access and literacy, we risk leaving millions of African women and their families behind (unpd.org)
Empowering Stories: From Informal Skills to Digital Success
Proving that tech isn’t just for coders—it’s a tool for financial freedom is the story of Aisha.
Aishat, a young woman from Nigeria, faced challenges after dropping out of secondary school due to financial issues and informal jobs. She got a fashion business job requiring digital skills she didn’t have. Still, her employer, Dr. Aderinsola Adio-Adepoju, encouraged her, emphasizing that anyone could learn tech skills.
With structured training through Workplace Foundational Skills, Aishat gained confidence and became a Tech Admin at I-Train Africa.
Now, Aishat manages a website, tutors students, and funds her education with her salary, demonstrating how proper training and support can help African women transition to successful digital careers.
Leadership Driving Change
Amidst this journey of connecting with impactful stories, Dr. Aderinsola Adio-Adepoju, founder and CEO of I-Train Africa, was recently featured as one of 50 Inspiring Nigerian Women in the Women Hub Magazine, recognizing her dedication to digital empowerment in Africa by Kemi Ajumobi and BusinessDay.
This recognition underscores her commitment to equipping 10 million Africans with digital skills by 2030. In line with this mission, she launched SheEarns Africa, an affiliated program to empower women to earn global income by promoting accessible and affordable digital skills training programs like Workplace Foundational (fundamental) Skills. This initiative enhances individual earning potential and contributes to the broader digital economy by integrating underrepresented talent.
SheEarns Africa is dedicated to advancing several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
SDG4: Quality Education – Providing digital literacy and skills training.
SDG 5: Gender Equality – Empowering women to participate equally in the digital economy.
SDG8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – Facilitating access to sustainable digital careers.
Through WFS, SheEarns Equips African Women with:
Digital literacy to navigate online opportunities.
Remote work skills to access global job markets.
Entrepreneurial training to digitally scale their businesses.
Financial empowerment strategies for long-term sustainability.
In the Spirit of International Women’s Day: Celebrating Trailblazing Women
Celebrating women who have broken barriers and paved the way for others:
Balara Beyramat Yakubu: Refused to accept the story written for her.
Bolanle Awe: She made Nigerian history by including women who had been left out.
Invitation to Partners
Inspired by these trailblazing women, we invite you to partner with SheEarns. Together, we can empower African women, transform their informal skills into digital careers, and foster economic growth.
Reflecting on the Future
As we look ahead, several questions arise:
How can we ensure that digital literacy becomes a universal right rather than a privilege?
What steps can be taken to bridge the digital gender divide effectively?
How can informal skills be systematically recognized and integrated into the digital economy?
“Together, let’s #accelerateaction from within—where women are empowered with no limits, no barriers, and endless possibilities in the digital economy.”
Join the Movement!