Web3Ladies, a web3 community focused on raising the next generation of female disruptors, has secured $3,000 in grants from Yellow Card to train 500 Nigerian women in tech and blockchain skills.
Announcing the grant at the weekend, Yellow Card said the training would help to bridge the gender gap in the tech industry which is currently dominated by men.
According to the company, despite Nigeria’s strong entrepreneurial spirit, only 15% of tech startup co-founders in the country are women.
It added that a study published by LongHash in 2018 also shows that among 100 blockchain startups surveyed, female employees accounted for only 14.5% of the workforce.
Yellow Card said the decision to partner with Web3Ladies, a women-centric organization, was driven by the need to provide greater access to training and tech resources for the burgeoning young population of the continent, particularly females, who face significant barriers.
Investment in the future
Speaking on Yellow Card’s $3,000 grant to power their mentorship program, Associate Program Manager for Web3Ladies, Nkechi Enebeli, said: while commenting on said:
- “Yellow Card’s partnership reaffirms the belief that empowering women in tech is not just a matter of equality but an investment in the future.
- “The partnership is more than just financial support; it’s a testament to the power of collaboration. We are immensely grateful to Yellow Card for recognizing our mission and offering their hand in our journey towards a more equitable tech ecosystem”.
Also speaking, the Chief Operating Officer of Yellow Card, Jason Marshall, noted that women and girls face significant barriers to technology and digital literacy education, making it an easy decision to grant Web3Ladies the $3,000 for the mentorship program.
- “This is just one of our several efforts under the YC Social Good, our CSR initiatives, which promote inclusion and financial freedom across the continent. Our decision to invest in empowering these women reflects our deep commitment to making a real impact.
- “By providing training and access to resources, we aim to bridge the gender gap in tech and contribute to the economic growth of the continent,” he said.
Digital skills in Africa
Marshall added that an estimated 230 million jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills by 2030, and UNESCO estimates that only 30% of women receive STEM training, with even fewer girls possessing essential digital skills for the modern workforce in the region.
He said Yellow Card, through its YC Social Good Initiative, intends to close this gap, equipping and preparing young African talents with the necessary skills required to shape the future of the continent.
The Web3Ladies mentorship program is a three-month intensive boot camp designed to train skilled designers, engineers, and managers for the blockchain industry while providing them with the necessary tools and tech resources needed for post-training success.
Er…the check in the accompanying picture reads “$3,000,000” – as in three million dollars!