Although crypto currency was made to promote freedom from repression, there is an evident gender gap, Binance, the world’s leading blockchain ecosystem and crypto currency infrastructure provider, said in statement copied to the Ghanaian Times.

“Of the 378 venture-backed crypto and blockchain companies founded globally between 2012 and 2018, only one had an all-female founding team, and only 31 (8.2 per cent) had a combination of male and female founders,” it said.

Binance said outside of leadership, women were grossly under-represented in the workforce, with 95 per cent of people in the blockchain industry being men, according to the Global Crypto User Index.

It said Project Syndicate also posited that the overall female labour-force participation rate in sub-Saharan Africa had reached 61 per cent, yet women constitute only 30 per cent of professionals in the technology   industry. 

“Binance understands the importance of gender inclusivity in the blockchain world and has continued to create opportunities and initiatives tailored to meet these demands,” the statement said.

It said as part of the  International Women’s Month, Binance Africa had rolled out an 8-week Bootcamp to equip women with the necessary tools and skills for a career in blockchain, adding that “The participants in the training session will work on hands-on projects and build important critical thinking skills with real-world problems and solutions.”

The statement said Binance Charity, the philanthropic arm of Binance, launched the ‘MamaToTheRescue’ project to strengthen the Kenyan economy and empower women with new and sustainable technical skills and sourced and donated sewing machines, creating job opportunities for local women.

The Francophone Africa Lead of Binance, CarineDikambi, said blockchain technology was a transformative technology that improved lives and delivered financial freedom and inclusion for millions. 

Head of Product Communications of Binance, DamilolaOdufuwa, commenting on the power of crypto and women’s rights, said “I’ve always been passionate about financial inclusion for women. I was sold as soon as I realised the impact crypto and blockchain technology could have on women’s rights. I was determined to use my experience in media and communications to aid the conversation on how technology and crypto can work hand-in-hand with technology and women’s rights to democratise the microphone that has traditionally been reserved to those in power. Of course, I was also drawn to the industry’s influence, use cases, transparency, and rapidly evolving nature.”