• 08 Mar 2023
• opticom

We are delighted to celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day in recognition of women championing the advancement of transformative digital technology especially in security industry.

This year’s theme, “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality,” highlights the role of innovative technology in promoting gender equality. The adoption of security technological innovations has positively impacted the role of women in security and boosted their involvement in matters security.

At Opticom Kenya Limited and Optimum Group Partnerships UK Company, our strongest intelligence is not artificial. It is in growing women in security through technology and innovation. We have seen that women can be innovators and contribute to transforming the security of all people globally. We are glad to see the enthusiastic scale-up of ICT-based innovation deployed to combat terror and prevent crime. Women are intrinsically at the centre of these innovations.

As promoters of gender equality, diversity and inclusion we continue to forge partnerships and collaborations with associations such as Women in Security Excellence. These partnerships offer opportunities to young engineers mainly directed to young women a career in security technology and innovation. Through the Young Professionals Program the young innovators have access to global knowledge nurturing them to create innovative solutions that meet global security needs.

Growing women in security through technology and innovation.

Nevertheless, we endeavour to do more to remove the digital gender divide, mainly impacting vulnerable women and girls, especially those in rural and remote areas with low education and socioeconomic status though More Than Us Foundation an Optimum Group Partnerships Sustainable Community Impact Organization.

Inadequate infrastructure, lack of digital skills for the internet and ICTs, and gender-related barriers around access to and control over resources are the main obstacles to “meaningful connectivity” for women and girls.

We can address this challenge by:
1. Creating awareness about the digital gender divide.
2. Advocating for policies and legal frameworks to keep women and girls safe.
3. Promoting women’s participation in science, technology, and ICTs.

By doing these, we will ensure that disadvantaged and vulnerable women and girls also benefit equitably from digital and technological innovations.

At Opticom we endeavour leverage on our 25yrs of commitment to security technology excellence to transfer knowledge, train and empower the young professionals making them globally competitive. The knowledge transfer is to empower the youths especially women through use of technology to locally develop innovative led solutions that meet global standards ultimately addressing youth employment agenda.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, let us all —from governments and partners to civil society and citizens—support country-driven and gender-sensitive approaches to close the existing digital gender divide as we grant every woman an opportunity and platform to thrive through leveraging on technology.