2019 Vivatech: African Females Take Centre Stage in France

• 2019 Vivatech: African Females Take Centre Stage in France

Top African female innovators from the Republic of Congo to Rwanda, Senegal, and other African nations exhibited a strong presence at the 2019 Vivatech Fair in France on Thursday.

Djaoued Halal, the Chief Executive Officer, Addex Technology, said while gender parity is a matter of efficiency, it is not easy to be a woman in a male environment.

“It so happens that today women are very efficient… And so if you ask me if I’m giving them a chance, no! It is they who give me the chance to come to us, because they are efficient. And today parity in the company must be respected, by definition because if there is performance in women, they must be part of our company.”

More and more African women are joining technology firms, while others are starting their own start-ups. The startups present at the Vivatech Fair in France attests to the growing technological adoption among African women.

“It’s not at all easy when you’re a woman in a male environment to evolve professionally, and moreover when you’re lead the creation of a startup, it’s not easy at all, because often you’re led by men who don’t necessarily have the same vision as you or who aren’t used to being led by a woman. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible. But personally, I received a lot of support from my father who encouraged me a lot and who somehow made me understand that even if you are a woman, you can do anything,” said Boussoura Talla, the co-founder of Senegalese start up Settic.