TECHNOLOGY AS A STRATEGIC TOOL TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE GLOBAL VILLAGE

I opened my first E-mail Address in Sokoto State North West Nigeria in 2004 it was an exhilarating experience for me because I had the opportunity to communicate and share ideas with my class mates posted to other parts of the Country for the compulsory one year National Youth Service Corps, but in year 2008 technology for me was no longer about sending and receiving mails but a means to explore global  opportunities and interact with diverse groups of persons, yes and after a few years of  persistence I achieved my dreams of traveling out of my country for the first time in 2010 which changed my perspective and view point on so many issues such as religious identity, sexual orientation, and strategic thinking. The significant impact for me was while being interviewed for the Young African Leadership Initiative, my interviewer asked for links to my online presence and since then my perception about Technology Changed. Through technology I am able to communicate with Persons of Influence locally as well as global leaders in my field of interest, through twitter and other social media handles I am able to share my ideas and viewpoints  on issues of national and global interest, Also through Facebook-I am able to showcase my work at WGCCEO and it is very exciting  that people from outside my country appreciate my work and even ask for how they can be a part of it.

Technology has imparted my life positively, however, in spite of its  positive benefits, lack of finance, lack of education, absence of electricity, marginalizes/excludes  many women from tapping into the potentials of technology as in a developing country like mine  Technology is expensive and many women would prefer to do something that they would get  instant benefits than invest their meager income on  Technology .  However, I strongly believe  With strong partnership and collaboration marginalized Women particularly Women in Internally Displaced Persons Camp and Rural Communities can be trained on how to harness the potentials of technology to tell their stories.  Girls would also  not be afraid to touch a computer system but instead see it as a means to belong to the global village community while also  using it as a medium to promote and advocate for their rights at the regional and global level. Hence, breaking biases about their roles in the society.

My barriers to facing technology is  often-times the poor network and data cost, I think in effectively addressing these, the service providers need to do more on reducing data cost. I am very hopeful that with technology I can be a global voice to be reckoned with, I can get unlimited access to Funding for work I do at my Non-Profit while also using it to champion the cause of Women and Girls and sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good Health & Well-Being), 4 (Quality Education), 5 (Gender Equality), 6 (Sanitation & Water) and 16 (Peaceful Institutions) in addition to  building a global professional network. My fears for technology are it can be used as a medium to propagate fake news thereby leading to a myriad of problems such as political instability and religious intolerance which then leads to break down of law and order and  in such  instances, Women and Children are the highest causalities and also used to promote smear campaigns against Women interested in contested for Political Office.

Lastly, in my opinion when I think of a Society where technology is leveraged there is accelerated development in all facets of the economy, gender biases is eliminated, traditional and religious stereotypes is reduced to the barest minimum. People particularly Women are able to showcase their skills to a global audience thereby contributing to the GDP of their country’s economy. Educational System is improved as a result of virtual learning which ensures that a child for example  in Iyara Village in Kogi State Nigeria can interact with another Child in Houston Texas –United States of America.  Women can also interact and relate with one other from all over the world on a virtual platform like World Pulse sharing ideas and offering solutions on issues bedeviling our respective communities such as the Corona virus and how as an online community we can fight this pandemic together for a better world.