Regina Honu calls for inclusive digital systems to prevent women being left behind
Technology systems designed without women’s perspectives risk deepening inequality and excluding thousands of African girls from the continent’s digital future, has warned.
Speaking at the in Accra, Ms Honu Chief Executive Officer
Soronko Academy said digital innovation and financial technology platforms must be intentionally designed to reflect how women across different social and economic groups interact with technology.
“It’s really about understanding the voices and perspectives of different women and girls in different spaces at different times,” she said during the panel discussion on “Leading Africa’s Next Frontier with Women in Tech.”
According to her, women in rural, middle-income and urban communities often engage with digital services differently, making it critical for developers and policymakers to create solutions tailored to those realities.
“How do women interact with technology, and how are we ensuring that they are part of shaping what happens next?” she asked.
Ms Honu stressed that women must not only be trained with technical skills, but also be given the voice, visibility and influence needed to shape innovation ecosystems across Africa.
She further argued that digital inclusion conversations should extend beyond gender to include persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups.
“How can we be intentional to make sure that we are creating these spaces and these platforms?” she said.
Drawing from Soronko Academy’s experience training more than 60,000 women and girls across Ghana, Ms Honu noted that access to opportunities remains one of the biggest barriers despite growing technical skills among women.
“We must now understand that women have the skills, they have the communities. Once the opportunities are there, we need to streamline this and add more zeros,” she said.
She also highlighted growing interest among African women in participating in global gig and remote work markets, but questioned whether current payment systems and financial infrastructure are adequately designed to support and protect them.
“The question always remains: how do they get paid, and how are they going to be safe?” she said.
Ms Honu concluded by urging governments, financial institutions and technology firms to increase visibility for women innovators and create safer, more inclusive environments that allow women-led talent to scale across borders.
