Coalition for Digital Equality (CODE): Building a More Equal and Prosperous African Digital Future
Location:
Ghana, Uganda, UK
Background
The Coalition for Digital Equality (CODE), established in 2020, is a network connecting local and global stakeholders to bridge the digital gender divide and promote sustainable economic growth across Africa. Operating initially in Uganda and Ghana, CODE brings together innovation hubs, digital skills initiatives, SMBs, impact investors, and policymakers with UK academic and industry partners to identify the key drivers of the digital gender divide in Africa, and to collaboratively develop solutions to address it. The project was implemented by a multidisciplinary team of academics and practitioners from the University of Leicester, Makerere University Business School (MUBS), University of Ghana (UG), Africa Technology Business Network (ATBN) and Gender and Policy Insights (GenPol), and was funded by UK Research and Innovation.
Our approach
Stakeholder consultations: Engaged diverse stakeholders to identify core barriers to gender inclusion in local digital ecosystems, including gaps in capacity building, networking, infrastructure, funding, gender-sensitive programming, policy, and research.
Co-creation and academic workshops: Co-created collaborative workshops with practitioners and academics to identify challenges and generate solutions and recommendations, resulting in two policy briefs addressing the digital gender divide in Ghana and Uganda.
CODE Forum and Digital Equality Awards: Convened ecosystem actors from Ghana, Uganda, the UK, and beyond to exchange insights and practical strategies for bridging digital gender gaps. The Digital Equality Awards showcased best practices and recognized leaders advancing digital inclusion and transformation in Africa.
Impact
Stakeholder Collaboration: Connected over 200 stakeholders across the UK, Ghana, and Uganda to co-develop inclusive digital solutions for African women.
Knowledge Sharing: Fostered collaboration and knowledge exchange across borders and sectors to address digital gender gaps.
Co-Creation Synergy: Enabled participants, through workshops, to identify root causes of digital inequality and design actionable solutions.
Gender-Lens Integration: Strengthened participants’ capacity to implement gender-sensitive programmes within their organizations.
Awareness: The Digital Equality Awards raised public awareness of digital gender inequality, attracting 232 nominations and 26,000 social media engagements.
Testimonials
“It was a pleasure working with Eunice and Stav on the project, “Bridging the Digital Gender Divide to Stimulate Growth in African Digital Economies”(UK Research and Innovation / Global Challenges Research Fund). Their expertise was crucial in forming the Coalition for Digital Equality which created a knowledge-sharing platform to unlock inclusive digital growth opportunities in Africa. Their professionalism and proficiency in delivering project outputs stood out. As a project team, we saw the successful delivery of stakeholder consultations and co-creation workshops, and hosted an international forum and awards focused on advancing digital gender equality in Africa.”
— Dr Winfred Onyas, Associate Professor in Marketing, University of Leicester
