New book launches with stories of African female entrepreneurs

Filled with practical advice and words of encouragement, this book speaks to any girl who has a dream but fears the odds might be stacked up too high against her.
Founding Women is a publication of the Africa Technology Business Network (ATBN), a UK-based social enterprise that works to promote sustainable development in Africa through technology innovation and enterprise.

All proceeds from sale of the book will go towards ATBN’s training and mentorship programme for young female entrepreneurs in Africa.

“The release of this book is timely, especially as the world marks International Women’s Day. We must recognise that the playing field is not even for all women. African women in tech are not often visible, particularly, as we are so under-represented in the sector.

“Founding Women is about highlighting role models to show girls and young women across Africa and the world, that technology is for them and that they too can become technology entrepreneurs if they want to. The book also speaks to a much broader audience because ultimately these women’s stories can teach us all something about going for our dreams and not giving up,” said Eunice Baguma Ball, author and founder of ATBN.

As highlighted by the recent #MeToo movement, gender inequality continues to be a pressing issue worldwide, particularly in male-dominated sectors like technology where women face systemic barriers.

Recent findings show that out of the $85 billion invested by venture capitalists in 2017, only 2% went to women, and less than 1% to black female entrepreneurs. This book not only puts the spotlight on some of the challenges faced by African female entrepreneurs, but also showcases their strength and commitment to their visions.

Eunice Baguma Ball is a UK-based, Ugandan social entrepreneur and technology advocate. She is the founder and executive director of the Africa Technology Business Network (ATBN).

Her passion for technology stemmed from her experience working on financial inclusion projects in Uganda where she saw the impact that technology-enabled access to financial services could have on the lives of those in underserved communities. She later founded a technology startup in Uganda. While it was not successful, the experience motivated her to work towards building an African innovation ecosystem where young entrepreneurs can access the support they need to succeed and led her to establish ATBN.