Held as part of the High Level Forum on Artificial Intelligence under the theme “Artificial Intelligence as a lever for development in Africa”, this panel was an opportunity to look at the progress made and the gaps to be corrected in the field of AI with the participation of women on the continent as a focal point, with a view to enabling them to effectively address the constraints they face.
In this regard, Abdoulaye Ibrahim, Head of the Contextual Analysis and Foresight Unit for UNESCO’s Priority Africa, stressed that women are largely underrepresented in academic and scientific programs, noting the importance of raising awareness among political powers and academic leadership in order to strengthen the contribution of women and the role that AI can play as a lever for development.
In this context, he highlighted the “African women in Tech and AI” program (2023-2026) within the framework of the strategic and financial partnership agreement between UNESCO, AI Movement under the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) and the OCP Foundation, with the aim of developing the skills and leadership of 150 African women entrepreneurs in the digital and AI fields and creating a pan-African network of women working in the field of AI.
In this sense, he called for promoting the ecosystem of women entrepreneurs, through online training, the pooling of expertise and the participation of all stakeholders in this type of projects and initiatives.
For her part, the founder and CEO of Digits Consulting, Meryem Kassou, noted the need to facilitate access to financing to enable the incubation of projects led by women in the field of AI and thus increase their representation in the entrepreneurial sphere.
She further emphasized the imperative of equipping oneself with the technical and digital skills required to successfully launch into entrepreneurship in Africa and promote the local and continental capacities of women for empowerment and scientific and economic progress, while aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Placed under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, this three-day international conclave is initiated by UM6P through its “AI Movement” Center, in partnership with UNESCO, and sees the participation of representatives from more than 30 countries, including around fifteen African countries, with the aim of laying the foundations for an African strategy dedicated to AI.
2024-09-16 02:00:12