Across the African continent and its diaspora, women are building businesses, raising communities, running NGOs, driving education, and advocating for justice. We are the heartbeat of progress. But as artificial intelligence (AI) accelerates global change, a hard truth emerges: if African women are not intentionally equipped with the skills to navigate and shape this technological revolution, we risk being written out of the future we’ve worked so hard to build.

As a communications scholar and development professional, I have spent nearly two decades championing women’s voices in newsrooms, research institutions, and community initiatives. I have seen our resilience. But I have also seen the gaps: when funding excludes us, when technology moves without us, when innovation forgets us. The AI age must not be another chapter in that story. It must be the turning point.

AI: A Double-Edged Sword for Women

Artificial intelligence is transforming everything from how we communicate and learn, to how we diagnose disease and make financial decisions. This could be a powerful opportunity to close long-standing gender gaps. But only if women, especially African women are actively participating as innovators, regulators, and decision-makers.

The World Economic Forum estimates that by 2025, 85 million jobs may be displaced by automation. Many of these jobs are in sectors dominated by women. The jobs that are at risks are mostly in education, administration, caregiving, retail, etc. At the same time, AI is creating 97 million new roles. But here’s the catch: these new roles require digital, analytical, and AI-related skills. Those skills that fewer women, and even fewer African women, currently have access to.

This is the danger and the opportunity. If we act now to upskill, we can not only safeguard livelihoods but become architects of inclusive, ethical, people-first AI systems. If we delay, we will watch new digital divides widen and we will be left fighting from the margins once again.

From Advocacy to Action: My Journey

Growing up in Sierra Leone, West Africa, I saw the transformative power of women-led communities. Later, in my academic and media career, I committed to spotlighting African women’s stories, identities, and innovations. But as AI began influencing everything from media production to public health communication, I knew I had to evolve.

That’s why I began upskilling—starting with AI governance, cloud security, and digital risk. I was not a computer scientist. I was a communicator. But I knew that understanding the digital rules of the future was essential if I wanted to remain impactful and influence policy, education, and storytelling in this new era.

Through my work with Skills2Evolve and Edtextain e.V., we’re now taking that mission further helping African women, especially migrants and underserved groups, to upskill in digital literacy, cloud computing, and AI tools in ways that are culturally relevant and empowering.

African Women Are Already Innovating: Let’s Scale It

Across Africa and its diaspora, women are not waiting to be included. They are already building. In Nigeria, girls are being trained in coding and digital rights. In Kenya, is being used for public health research. In Ghana, startups led by women are applying AI in agriculture, fintech, and civic tech.

But these bright lights need infrastructure. They need scalable mentorship, inclusive funding, and policies that prioritize digital equity. They also need continental and global visibility because narratives matter. If African women are not seen as AI leaders, we are less likely to be funded, followed, or invited to shape future standards.

Why This Moment Matters

Many African women are still excluded from formal digital education due to cost, geography, or cultural barriers. We must break these down and intentionally.

• Governments must embed AI education in school curricula and fund digital access for women and girls.
• Development agencies must fund women-led digital training centers and AI innovation hubs.
• Corporations must make AI upskilling programs gender-inclusive and location-adaptive.
• Communities must destigmatize tech careers for women and create local mentorship networks.
• We as women must believe we belong in this space—not as exceptions but as pioneers.

The age of AI is not about replacing humans. It’s about enhancing potential. And no one embodies potential like African women. We’ve built markets, sustained communities, raised nations and most often with minimal tools. Imagine what we could do with the right ones.

Empowerment Starts with a Choice

Upskilling is not about perfection. It’s about preparation. You don’t have to code overnight. Start small. Learn what AI is. Understand how it affects your industry. Join a webinar. Mentor a younger woman. Apply for a scholarship. Follow an AI podcast. Ask questions. Show up.

Because every time an African woman chooses to learn more about technology, we shift power. We open doors. We change who is seen as an innovator. And we ensure that the future of AI is not just powered by Africa but also by her daughters.

Final Word

This is our moment. It is not just about catching up, but to lead. AI will shape the future of work, health, media, and governance. Let’s make sure it is shaped by women who understand the past, live the present, and are boldly coding the future.

Let African women not be silent consumers of a new digital order. Let us be its co-creators.