Rural women are most of the time left behind in technology usage and innovation while they can contribute to the country’s development. This was said by Jennet Kem, UN women representative in Burundi during a symposium about rural women empowerment this 28 March 2018.
Kenneth Jane: “Innovation does not necessarily entail laboratory usage”.
“Less than 12% of women have access to the internet. They are also under-represented in entrepreneurship and social innovation sectors,” says Jennet Kem.
She says even uneducated and rural women can be social innovators and good entrepreneurs. “Innovation does not necessarily entail laboratory usage. It can be the way you communicate, the creation of opportunities for all, anything that can boost your life”.
Martin Nivyabandi, Minister of human rights and gender, says the country cannot develop without rural women implication. “Women and girls in general and rural women in particular are the foundation of our society. The recognition of their importance goes beyond March, a month that is dedicated to women. It is everyday’s life”.
Nivyabandi says educating women about technology usage and how they can be social innovators is a great initiative and says it is everyone’s responsibility. “Women have to be sensitized on technology usage”.
According to some researches done, Burundian women are under-represented in social innovation and entrepreneurship.
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