Pan-African cryptocurrency exchange and financial technology firm, Yellow Card, through a $3,000 grant, has teamed up with the Web3Ladies mentorship program to empower over 500 Nigerian women with relevant tech and blockchain skills.
This move by Yellow Card is part of its YC Social Good, the company’s flagship Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative, aimed at promoting financial freedom and enabling access to tech resources for everyone across the continent.
The Web3Ladies mentorship program is a three-month intensive boot camp designed to train skilled designers, engineers, and managers for the blockchain industry while providing them with the necessary tools and tech resources needed for post-training success.
For Yellow Card, the decision to partner with Web3Ladies, a women-centric organisation, was driven by the need to provide greater access to training and tech resources for the burgeoning young population of the continent, particularly females, who face significant barriers.
A study published by LongHash in 2018 shows that among 100 blockchain startups surveyed, female employees accounted for only 14.5 per cent of the workforce. So, while the digital ecosystem is dynamic and exciting, gender inclusivity remains a growth inhibitor.
Yellow Card, through its YC Social Good Initiative, intends to close this gap, equipping and preparing young African talents with the necessary skills required to shape the future of the continent.
Chief operating officer of Yellow Card, Jason Marshall stated that “we are committed to helping people across the African continent improve their lives through various partnerships and programs that focus on financial inclusion, youth empowerment, education, and innovation.”
Marshall further explained that women and girls face significant barriers to technology and digital literacy education, making it an easy decision to grant Web3Ladies the $3,000 for the mentorship program, saying that “this is just one of our several efforts under the YC Social Good, our CSR initiatives, which promote inclusion and financial freedom across the continent.”
Associate program manager for Web3Ladies, Nkechi Enebeli said, “Yellow Card’s commitment to corporate social responsibility is nothing short of remarkable. Their partnership reaffirms the belief that empowering women in tech is not just a matter of equality but an investment in the future.”