The tech company that’s addressing gender inequality in The Gambia
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The ICT industry in The Gambia, Africa’s smallest mainland nation, is dominated by men. Gambian women face many systemic barriers to entering this field. But PointClick Technologies is trying to change this.
A recent World Bank report points out that entrepreneurs leading digital Start-ups in the country are “typically young men…as women lead only 4 out of 40 start-ups”. The report adds that “only 10 percent of adolescent boys and 6 percent of adolescent girls (aged 15–18 years) in The Gambia are considered as having ICT skills”. That school-age gap continues to persist in Gambian tech businesses.
Women in The Gambia also experience Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, high rates of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Child Marriage and a lack of female role models in leadership positions. A report published by the UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) in 2020 stated that 1 in 4 women aged 15-49 “will become a victim of sexual and gender-based violence”, and that in some communities in The Gambia, this has become “‘normalized’ to the extent that 40% of women believe it is acceptable for their partner(s) to hit them”. The report adds that “75% of women and girls within their reproductive age have undergone FGM, while data showed that 30% of women aged 20 to 24 years were first married or in union before age 18.”
With regards to women in leadership positions, in the 2022 National Assembly election, only 3 women were elected out of a possible 53 seats, which dropped from 4 women in the previous parliamentary election in 2017. Now only 5.6% of elected Gambian parliamentarians are female. UN Women says that there are many gender data gaps in The Gambia with limited statistics on economic indicators such as “gender and poverty… [and] women’s access to assets (including land).” Anecdotal evidence suggests that few Gambian women are in positions of power in professional workplaces, even in the urban Kombo area of the country.
PointClick Technologies is a global cloud transformation company headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, with one of its four global bases in The Gambia. CEO Malik Khan is a Gambian, who studied and grew up in the United States. He is passionate about encouraging more women to work in tech:
"At PointClick Technologies, we believe in breaking down barriers and creating equal opportunities for all, regardless of gender. We are committed to addressing the systemic challenges faced by Gambian women in the tech industry and working towards a more inclusive and diverse workforce. As a global cloud transformation company with a base in The Gambia, we are proud to play a role in shaping a more equitable future for all Gambians."
20-year-old Sainabou Jallow is one of PointClick’s team members:
“Coming from a non-technical, non-computing and non-Cyber Security background, I never thought I would end up working as a Cyber Security Specialist back in high school. In 2021, I applied for an internship with Innovate Gambia and heard about PointClick there. Out of curiosity, I decided to learn about Cloud Computing and basic Networking skills. I got more interested in Cyber Security. I completed a six-month Cyber Security course and joined the technical team at PointClick as a full-time employee in 2022.
There’s no doubt that my role has at times been daunting, but the prospect of overcoming these challenges has always driven my desire to keep on learning, and my progress keeps me motivated every day. Being a Cyber Security Specialist is a unique and rewarding experience because the learning, growth and need for improvement never stops. Hackers don’t take time off when you are on holiday!
Through my journey I realized that when it comes to choosing Cyber Security as a career path, a common misconception is that a computer science degree is a must. While having an information technology background is helpful, a successful career in the security space does not depend on it. I hope women in the industry, especially young females that don’t know where to start, understand that. It is amazing to see what you can achieve in the Cyber Security space – even with a slightly unconventional background – if you are armed with a curious mind, an affinity and passion for the subject and the ability to easily adapt to new situations. Don’t be intimidated by the term ‘technical’ and remember that Cyber encompasses a variety of topics, so explore the space and find your niche within Cyber.”
Sainabou is in good company. PointClick’s Co-Founder and President, Awamary Lowe-Khan, was recently featured by Forbes Africa as one of Gambia’s “tech queens.”
Awamary explains why she’s passionate about encouraging more women to join the tech industry:
“Technology is changing the way we receive information - how we process it, how we work and the jobs we will do in the future. The lack of inclusivity for women in tech works against development and excludes them from economic opportunities created by technology. It is our responsibility to encourage, empower, and give visibility for women and girls to learn and access tech."
PointClick celebrated its 15-year anniversary last year, but the firm hopes to leave a legacy long beyond this time, where gender quality in the Gambian tech industry is achieved.
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Editors notes
About PointClick Technologies:
PointClick Technologies facilitates success in the cloud, and has been providing enterprise-level Cloud, Hosting & IT infrastructure solutions and managed IT services to our business clients for fifteen years. This includes a comprehensive security suite, disaster recovery, managed storage, and backup solutions. The company is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina in the United States, with offices in Spain, India, and The Gambia. We have built a reputation for delivering high-touch services to major brands in the US and global companies in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
PointClick celebrated its 15-year-anniversary in 2022. You can find out more about this milestone here:
https://15years.pointclick.net
About Innovate Gambia:
Innovate Gambia was created to foster and elevate economic development in The Gambia. It started with the notion of rebuilding and revitalizing the country; by increasing innovation, technology, entrepreneurship, and workforce development. It is fully funded by PointClick Technologies.
Since 2017, Innovate Gambia has:
- Housed 80+ Entrepreneurs and Start-ups at our Innovation Hub
- Enabled 3500 hours of meetings to be conducted in our meeting rooms
- Invested in four Start-ups
- Coached and mentored 300+ Entrepreneurs
- Organized and hosted 70+ Events
- Delivered 1200+ hours of Training
