Background
The Coalition for Digital Equality (CODE) is a network designed to connect local and global stakeholders to address the digital gender divide and promote sustainable economic growth across Africa. Operating initially in Uganda and Ghana, CODE links African innovation hubs, digital skills initiatives, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), impact investors, and policymakers with UK academic and industry partners.
CODE was established in 2020 as part of an 18-month project titled “Bridging the Digital Gender Divide to Stimulate Growth in African Digital Economies,” funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF).
The project was executed by a multidisciplinary team of academics and practitioners from the University of Leicester, Makerere University Business School (MUBS), University of Ghana (UG), Africa Technology Business Network (ATBN) and Gender and Policy Insights (GenPol)
Project overview
The project aimed to develop a network to cultivate cross-sectoral partnerships in addressing this gap to address the digital gender gap in Africa, with a particular focus on Ghana and Uganda.The goal was to identify the key drivers of the digital gender divide in Africa, and to collaboratively develop solutions to address the digital gender gap.
This was achieved through a series of stakeholder consultations, co-creation workshops and roundtables as well an online conference (CODE Forum) and the Digital Equality awards.
• Stakeholder consultations
Consultations with stakeholders generated insights into the key challenges faced in addressing gender barriers in the respective local digital ecosystems.The challenges pertained to capacity building and networking; infrastructure and funding; gender-sensitive programming, policy interventions, and research and knowledge sharing.
• Co-creation and academic workshops
Co-creation workshops brought participants together to generate solutions to the identified challenges.University-hosted co-development and implementation workshops with local academics and practitioners elicited academic insights on the challenges and solutions and culminated in the development of two briefs offering recommendations for addressing the digital gender divide in Ghana and Uganda.
• CODE Forum and Digital Equality Awards
The CODE Forum brought together digital ecosystem stakeholders, academic and industry partners from Ghana, Uganda, the UK and across the globe to share ideas and discuss practical solutions for bridging the digital gender gap.
The Digital Equality Awards showcased best practices and recognised the achievements of individuals in Ghana and Uganda who are working to push the boundaries of digital inclusion and transformation in Africa.
Our Impact
The CODE network connected over 200 stakeholders in the UK, Ghana and Uganda to co-develop inclusive solutions and fostered collaboration to drive digital inclusion for African women. The project helped to catalyse knowledge sharing and relationships across borders and across sectors towards developing more effective approaches to addressing digital gender gaps and driving women’s economic empowerment.Through co-creation workshops, participants were able to work together to gain a deeper understanding of root causes of digital gender gaps and co-develop solutions.
The knowledge gained by participants enabled them to develop more gender-sensitive programmes and solutions within their organizations. The Digital Equality awards brought wider awareness to the issue of digital gender inequality and the work being done to address the gap, with 232 nomination entries received and 26,000 engagements on social media.
Testimonials
It was a pleasure working with ATBN on the project, “Bridging the Digital Gender Divide to Stimulate Growth in African Digital Economies”(UK Research and Innovation / Global Challenges Research Fund). ATBN’s expertise was crucial in forming the Coalition for Digital Equality which created a knowledge-sharing platform to unlock inclusive digital growth opportunities in Africa. Their professionalism and proficiency in delivering project outputs stood out. As a project team, we saw the successful delivery of stakeholder consultations and co-creation workshops, and hosted an international forum and awards focused on advancing digital gender equality in Africa.
Dr Winfred Onyas, Associate Professor in Marketing, University of Leicester