Good morning everyone. It is an honor
for me to welcome the 16-member delegation of senior tech executives
and professionals from the Silicon Valley who promote STEM education
and technology in the United States.
These delegation members represent
organizations as diverse as Twitter, LinkedIn, Netflix, and Mozilla.
Among them are also representatives of Autodesk, WomenCollege Tech,
Stanford Graduate School of Business, Juniper Networks, FairrerSamani
Group, Northgate Environmental Management, Jessica Dickinson Goodman
Consulting, and the Institute of International Education.
In particular, I’d like to welcome
Carolyn Ward, our colleague from the Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs who is accompanying this group of tech leaders.
Our special thanks go to Cedar STEM &
Entrepreneurship Hub of Lonadek for hosting this august gathering.
The American consulate is pleased to
sponsor this series of seminars and trainings by leading women
technology leaders from Nigeria and the United States who are
actively advocating for women in science, engineering, and
technology. I know everyone here cares about STEM education. That’s
why you are here. The reason is simple: STEM education is the key
foundation for any country’s economic success.
Sadly, many young women who pursue
studies in STEM at tertiary institutions share stories of being
grossly outnumbered by men. In workplaces, women in STEM fields face
discriminatory practices and behaviors from colleagues and
supervisors including compensation at lower levels than male
counterparts for their labor. They also generally lack opportunities
for coaching, mentoring, and growth compared to their male
colleagues.
Here’s the blunt truth: without
women’s inclusive participation, any gains in economic growth and
development as well as advances in science and technology would be
lopsided and unsustainable. Therefore, it is critical that women’s
voices, at all levels, find representation in collaborative solutions
that will have an impact on them.
The U.S. government is convinced that
when barriers to women’s full participation in STEM fields are
removed, women do better, families do better, countries do better,
and the world does better. Whether at home or abroad, promoting
women in STEM fields is a top priority of the U.S. government.
When Ambassador Symington opened the
American Spacein Yaba in 2017, co-hosted by Co-Creation Hub (CCHUB),
he pledged the U.S. government’s support for additional projects
that might expand the use of technology in Nigeria.
We have since funded a number of
projects to increase STEM education in different parts of the
country. In October 2017, we hosted RoboRAVE, a robotics education
program in Lagos and Abeokuta. Last December, we funded the
establishment of a technology hub in Lagos that will host training
and mentoring sessions for persons living with disabilities in
various technology-based skills.
•The goal of encouraging the role of
girls and women in STEM fields has been the cornerstone of the
technology-learning programs funded by the U.S. Mission in Nigeria.
•More broadly, the United States has
invested millions of dollars to directly advance gender equality
across sub-Saharan Africa, through activities that promote political
and economic opportunities for women, access to health and education
services, and efforts to prevent and respond to gender-based
violence.
•In 2011, the U.S. government
introduced the TechWomen program to empower the next generation of
women leaders in the technology field. This exchange program brings
together women in Northern California with their counterparts in the
Middle East, Central Asia, North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa
including Nigeria for a professional mentorship at leading technology
companies in the U.S.
•I understand that some of the
Nigerian Fellows of TechWomenprogram are in this room. I urge every
female tech leader here today to meet with these alums and learn from
them, particularly the application process for this prestigious
exchange program.
•In closing, I strongly encourage
everyone here to think broadly about ways you or your organizations
can form partnerships and expand your network as women STEM leaders.
•I hope that you will all take what
you learn and spread your knowledge beyond this group. I also hope
today will serve as a valuable opportunity to pledge a strong
commitment to inspiring the next generation of girl
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