Ajira Drive currently seeks to eliminate the digital divide by focusing on more women

As part of plans to expand the Ajira Digital program, the government intends to target more women.

The new strategy aims to close the gender gap in the digital sphere and involves the introduction of the AjiraForShe apprenticeship, a brand-new program created particularly for women.

The initiative will be carried out in accordance with the new strategy by the eMobilis Technology Training Institute, the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kepsa), and the Mastercard Foundation.

Despite Kenya being one of the continent’s leaders in broadband connectivity, research suggest that only roughly 35% of women there can use advanced digital services.

Upskilling is essential to addressing youth unemployment in a changing labor market, according to Ehud Gachugu, project director for Kepsa’s Ajira Digital Programme.

Young people must abandon the idea that there aren’t enough job prospects and begin considering the requirements of society and industry in order to use their skills and talents to offer answers, according to Mr. Gachugu.

Over 350,000 young people, including 53% of young women, have received digital skills training under the Ajira program.

As part of the government’s efforts to digitally transform the courts, around 1,500 youngsters who had been taught under the program were dispersed across the nation to perform digital jobs like transcribing, scanning, and data entry.

By encouraging the adoption of digital and online work in Kenya, it has been at the forefront of popularizing the local digital economy and enhancing livelihoods.

To help young people move to careers in the digital sector, the program provides free mentoring and training in digital skills.

Even while apprenticeships are becoming more and more popular as a tried-and-true kind of on-the-job training that aids in acquiring the skills needed for a career, many Kenyans, particularly women, have yet to accept it.

Edna Karija, Program Manager for eMobilis, claims that the new project seeks participation of 70%.

by young women, especially those from disadvantaged areas and refugee camps. When you look at global data, there are fewer women connected to the Internet and who are taking up digital professions. We are seeking to boost the amount of digitally enabled work for young women, said Ms. Karija. Currently, 53% of young women have completed the program.

Sandra Owiti, a partner in the Mastercard Foundation Program, emphasized the need of increasing the number of women in the workforce.

Young women confront a variety of obstacles, but if we as partners work together, we can make sure that they are able to overcome them and earn a respectable salary through digital and digitally enabled jobs, according to Ms. Owiti.