Source:AllAfrica
Four women have been recognised in this year's Connected Kenya for making strides in STEM careers.

The four women have made worthy contributions to STEM in Kenya. Angela Wamola -Women in Tech (WIT) Safaricom; Linet Kwamboka- DataScience LTD (former AkiraChix); Prof. Olive Mugenda -VC Kenyatta University; Hon. Rebecca Joshua Okwaci, South Sudan Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services were the women that were honoured during this ceremony.

The recognition took place during Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Kenya networking cocktail, which sort to get women in STEM to have meaningful discussions around the challenges they face and brainstorm on possible solutions.

Speaking to CIO East Africa, Linet Kwamboka CEO Data Science said that she really appreciated the recognition, "Starting to recognize people who are doing something it gets to encourage someone to do better things not only as a woman but a professional. I started at Akirachix but later on started Data Science as an idea in 2013. It is a Sotware Engineering Company mainly around data. I also work for the Government, I still work with ICT Authority and run the Kenya Open Data initiative for the Government," She added.

Among the key outcomes from the session were to increase the statistics in Kenya for women in STEM. In 2014, there were eighty one applicants for the ICT Innovation Awards. Only seventeen of these applicants were women. To curb this, it was decided that Women in STEM would create a conducive and encouraging environment for more women to get into STEM. This can be achieved by opposing stereotypes about women such as they are unable to excel in STEM subjects or that the women who pursue careers in STEM are not feminine enough.

The session also called on women in STEM to collaborate and network so as to strengthen the support network. There was also need to push for policy changes to be made so that more girls can be aware of the opportunities that are available in pursuing STEM careers.

The Women in STEM Kenya have also begun a mentorship program that is geared towards high school and primary school girls in a bid to encourage them to gain interest in STEM subjects.

The number of women in leadership is already low, but it is even worse in ICT and other STEM careers. There was a resolution to change this by aggressively pushing for women who are already pursuing STEM careers to take up leadership roles.

The speakers at the session included: Esther Muchiri, chair of Women in STEM Kenya; Njeri Maina, Oracle Business Development Manager for Africa; Gilbert Saggia, Country Director, Oracle; Tonia Mutiso-Kariuki, Marketing Director for Microsoft 4Afrika; Eunice Kariuki, ICTA Director for Partnership, Innovations and Capacity and Hon. Rebecca Joshua Okwaci, Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services. Others that spoke were Hon. Dan Kazungu, Member of Parliament for Malindi Constituency and Hon. Eng. James Rege, Member of Parliament for Karachuonyo Constituency.