In a bold move, the Women in Tech African region’s team took its annual regional awards event a step further and, with Absa’s support, held its first summit prior to the awards banquet at the Mount Nelson in Cape Town. This summit held some empowering workshops, a panel discussion and provided an opportunity for networking.

Absa’s Nick Kock, Business Security Officer, and Ina Steyn, Head of Cybersecurity Education and Awareness, co-presented the Cyberpsychology Masterclass workshop: Safeguarding women in the digital age. This is a topical area as in today’s world, every click, every share and every post could jeopardise someone’s safety; this is the reality for millions of girls and women, with 42% of girls having reported experiencing cyberbullying, and 10% of adult women having experienced identity theft through online romance.

Both Kock and Steyn delved into how technology influences human behaviour, cognition, emotions, and overall mental well-being. They also covered the motivation and source of an attack, the threat surface, as well as the impact these attacks may have on targets and their families. They discussed the unique vulnerabilities facing women at different life stages, from infants to adult women and gave advice on how to protect themselves from incidents of cybercrime via the internet and social media.

Africa Awards

After the summit, the second edition of the Women in Tech Africa Awards took place and recognised individuals from across the African continent who have made remarkable contributions to the development and upliftment of women in technology. Nominees for the awards were judged by a panel of 26 independent judges, selected from across Africa.

Absa’s own Tamu Dutuma, Head of Strategy, Governance, and Reporting for Absa Technology, was honoured with the Kearney-sponsored Best Ally Award. This recognition demonstrates that Absa’s commitment to promoting gender diversity in the technology and financial sector has been noticed and that Dutuma’s efforts to uplift women, both in his role at Absa and in his own free time, have had the tangible impact. Dutuma believes awards are very important as they validate the efforts and achievements of individuals and promote a culture of striving for innovation and creativity.

“Recognising and celebrating the accomplishments of women in STEM careers establishes role models and showcases what can be achieved. It serves as an inspiration for upcoming female leaders andwill hopefully encourage more women to pursue careers in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics and arts fields,” says Dutuma. “By providing platforms for recognition, learning and skills development, we can elevate more women and create a more inclusive technology industry.”

Winning women

Winner of the Absa-sponsored Global Leadership Award was Priya Thakoor, Group SVP Digital and Product at Airtel Africa. With a career dedicated to technology, she is an expert in all things digital and has strategically planned, directed and led digital, commercial, strategy, technology and delivery functions in large multinational retail, banking and telecom consumer businesses across Africa and the US. Thakoor is also a member of the MIT Technology Review Global Advisory Panel and a fellow of the Women Leaders of the World in Silicon Valley. The Absa-sponsored Lifetime Achievement Award was secured by Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, who is a professional consultant for such entities as the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa and is vice-principal for Research and Innovation at the University of South Africa (UNISA). It is noteworthy that she is the first black South African woman to obtain a PhD in mathematics.

Phakeng travels around the world to take the world of mathematics and science – the foundation of technology – to people far and wide.

Global Awards

A significant benefit of the Women in Tech Africa Awards is the international recognition winners receive. All Africa region winners are automatically nominated for the prestigious Women in Tech Global awards, held on 16 November 2023 in Dubai.

Melissa Slaymaker, Women in Tech’s Regional Director – Africa, underscored the importance of the awards and the role they play in recognising women and male allies who are shaping the future of technology and simultaneously breaking through glass ceilings.

“Our organisation is grounded in its commitment to fostering a more inclusive technology ecosystem and encouraging women to actively seek out and develop successful careers in the STEM professions. The collaboration between Women in Tech and Absa goes beyond the award ceremony into other outlets aimed at empowering women in their professional journeys. Through making access to technology resources and skills development programmes possible, we are contributing to the upliftment of girls and women,” she concludes.

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