The second webinar the #ASKnet webinar series was successfully conducted in four sessions, on 21, 22, and the 30th of June, 2023, titled "Creating Inclusive Spaces for Women in Tech and Media." The overall goal of the webinar series was to equip participants with useful insights, practical skills, and tools for creating more inclusive spaces for women in tech and media. The webinar focused on addressing the challenges faced by women in tech and media activities and promoting gender inclusivity. Participants explored the reasons behind the low participation and high drop-out rates of women in these fields. Discussions revolved around the importance of creating inclusive spaces and overcoming cultural and logistical barriers. The webinar featured case studies, both from within and outside of the #ASKnet community, showcasing successful initiatives that have effectively promoted women's participation. Practical strategies for recruiting, retaining, and promoting women in tech and media activities were shared, along with insights into building a supportive workplace culture. The session encouraged participants to think creatively and implement innovative approaches to involve women in their activities and projects.
The objectives of the webinar series were effectively met through the sessions and discussions:
- Raise awareness about the challenges faced by women in tech and media activities and the importance of gender inclusivity.
- Share best practices and successful case studies that have addressed women's participation.
- Provide practical strategies and tools for recruiting, retaining, and promoting women in tech and media activities.
- Encourage participants to create inclusive spaces in their own activities and projects by overcoming these challenges.
- Offer strategies for addressing the challenges faced by the women and organizations themselves
- How to tackle local/regional/cultural specific issues women face, that keep them from participating into consideration, and overcome them
The webinar series was split into four sessions conducted over two consecutive days, followed with a final session.
The structure and format of the webinars were as follows:
The first session of "Creating Inclusive Spaces for Women in Tech and Media" commenced with thought-provoking questions posed by Kudzai M. Mubaiwa. Participants were prompted to reflect on their initial thoughts about the topic and its relevance to their work. They also engaged in exploring the importance of women's inclusion in tech and media through a word association exercise. The session further delved into assessing the inclusivity of participants' programs and activities, encouraging introspection on existing practices.
The second half of the session was led by Soneni Mafu, who introduced the concept of the "Inequality Triangle." Participants were encouraged to examine the representation within their respective spaces, considering diversity in terms of gender, disability, ethnicity, and other dimensions. The importance of raising awareness about underrepresented groups and their opportunities was emphasized, leading to discussions on addressing gender inequality and formulating tangible solutions. The session concluded with a call to action, urging participants to assess the inclusivity of their workspaces and community activities.
The webinar series concluded with the fourth session, which provided an opportunity for participants to present and discuss the outcomes of their offline exercise or hands-on 'homework' assignment. The facilitators offered valuable feedback and insights, fostering a collaborative learning environment. The session concluded with a Q&A segment, allowing participants to address any remaining questions or concerns. In the end, Participants engaged in a ‘role play’ exercise about the challenges and best practices for creating an inclusive space for women in their activities.
Kudzai: “Every methodology we are using, all of the tools we are using in this particular program are all part of the learning. Use them. Use them even if you repeat them until your community knows them, use them. Yes, always say failure is not a problem at all. Try to fail but don't fail to try. I think that's a nice way to end the session”.
The webinar consisted of three recorded sessions for participants to return to, which can be found here:
Links to the related documents:
- Empowering Women in Tech and Media: Strategies, Discussions, and Co-Creatio
- Case Study: Inclusive Spaces for Women with Owilla Abiro Mercy
