• 45% fewer women than men are online in sub-Saharan Africa, representing 200 million fewer women than men online today in the developing world
  • Women perform 60% of the world's work, produce 50% food but earn 10% of the income, own 1% assets
  • There is only 12% internet penetration in the sub-Saharan and a 33% gap represented by women 15-25 years of age

Women today still lag behind on the technology scale, even with the rapid growth and spread of technology, women still don't stand to be counted as technology equipped individuals. Companies from across boundaries have therefore come in to close the gap by rolling out training programs in communities as well as education institutions.

In line with the campaign, Intel has today announced a December 2014 target to enrol 2,000 women and girls across Kenya in a digital literacy training program under Intel® She Will Connect program.  The programme will involve training of women and girls at various Pasha Centres in a number of counties. Intel is collaborating with The Rockefeller Foundation, USAID, Safari Connect and The Youth Banner, a Pasha Business development Consultant for the ICT Authority. At the end of the training, the women and the girls will have a chance to start their own businesses or be employed.

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ICT Authority of Kenya being part of the initiative has recruited 35 pasha centres in 27 counties into the program through Youth Banner which will see Pasha Centres offer a specially designed self-tutoring curriculum known as Intel Learn Easy Steps established to help learners expand their understanding and use of technology.  New elements including an online peer network and the use of gaming technologies across multiple technology devices will also be integrated into the curriculum.

"One of our mandates as an authority is to develop ICT skills and capacity in order to serve Kenyans better. We are championing this through partnerships, investment and infrastructure growth. Partners and initiatives like 'Intel® Will Connect Program' are essential if we are to achieve our development agenda. This program particularly marries with our goal of taking ICT to the marginalized and underserved through Pasha Centres," says Victor Kyalo, Ag, Chief Executive Officer, ICT Authority.

'She will connect" programme aims at reaching 5 million women and reducing the gender gap by 50 per cent in the sub-saharan region. The programme comes against the backdrop of the Women and the Web report released by Intel last year revealing the enormous Internet gender gap in the developing world and the social and economic benefits of securing Internet access for women.

The report examined women's access to and use of the Internet in low and middle income countries and found that, on average, nearly 25 per cent fewer women than men are online in developing countries. This represents 200 million fewer women than men online today. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the size of the gap is 43 per cent — the largest across all the regions in the study.