Interview Delphine Remy-Boutang, CEO the Bureau & JFD “2020 has taught us the power of digital, resilience and determination for entrepreneurs. 2021 will be the year of women and of Africa! «
Since 9 years, the Digital Women’s Day, (JFD in French), which is no longer just a simple annual meeting but a platform for the promotion of digital entrepreneurship for women, has honored and connected women who work to revolutionize the world thanks to digital, both in Europe and in Africa. This year, the JFD widens the target with the Margaret Junior Prize, dedicated to young African and European girls aged between 7 and 18 years old. Explanations with Delphine Remy-Boutang, CEO the Bureau & JFD.
Interview by Dounia Ben Mohamed
Before talking about the JFD in 2021, a look back at the year that has passed. A complex year that saw the world change … But at the same time great innovations on the digital level and especially in Africa. What’s your opinion about that?
Year 2020 has been a special year with this health crisis which has also become an economic crisis. We had to adapt to not suffer. And at the same time, anticipating in order to prepare for the aftermath, the future which must and will be different for all of us. This crisis will have been an opportunity to be better for the planet and for humanity. Empathy has been at the heart of the strategies of the countries which have “succeeded” in managing this crisis. And I think of countries ruled by women like Australia, or the Nordic countries.
The African continent has also been a good example for its ability to seize the opportunities offered by technology and innovation. But also through the creativity and resilience of its populations.
The events of 2020 have shown us how much speed this digital transformation has taken us. They also proved to us that digital, AI, LoT, Big Data and robotics will make companies in all sectors more resilient to future challenges. Those who can adapt quickly to this change will survive.
Cyber security professions are also expanding rapidly, companies are facing new challenges with the generalization of teleworking. Large healthcare companies, hospitals and the food industry are the target of cyber attacks aimed at disabling their websites. These are new labor market opportunities and growth for the continent. So an opportunity for women to enroll in these new professions, these new opportunities.
A situation that persists while part of Europe is reconfigured. So how are you going to adapt the JFD to this not quite Post-Covid reality?
The JFD has been more than a day for years now, our actions for an inclusive digital world are multiple through different programs: The JFD Club present in Africa, in Libreville in Gabon, our studies and the last one that we lead with our partner BVA, the Margaret Prize, a powerful growth accelerator for the start-ups we support, the Margaret Foundation to help young girls through scholarships, important lobbying with governments and of course our office communicator in the service of the JFD. These values that we have been carrying for 9 years can be summed up in 3 pillars: Training, Funding and Model Roles. We have been able to transform a model in place since 2013, orchestrated by my communication group the Bureau. Our mission and our core business of influence and communication remain intact.
We have also continued our actions by creating “Connect live with JFD” digital meetings.
In 2020, we carried out nearly 20 digital events and reached 13.5 million people. It’s huge and we are very proud of it! The JFD also held the launch of its Manifeste for a more inclusive digital world on March 4, 2020 at the Ministry of the Economy and Finance under the high patronage of Cédric O, Secretary of State for Digital Affairs in France.
What does the JFD 2021 program have in store for us?
As always, we will highlight inspiring women through the Margaret Prize, which annually rewards women entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs in Africa and Europe. These women who dare, innovate and undertake for a better world.
Since December 18, we are launching a call to all women and girls in Europe and Africa, who dare, innovate and undertake within the framework of the Margaret Awards and our new Junior category.
They will be able to apply and share their projects and innovations until February 8, 2021 on www.joinjfd.com. Through this prize, the JFD will reward on March 8, 2021, the creativity, daring and innovations of four European and African women and two young girls.
And innovations, including the Margaret Junior Prize?
The Award les Margaret Junior is the great novelty of the Prix les Margaret for 2021. This award honors Margaret Hamilton, Director of the Software Engineering Division who contributed to man’s first step on the moon with the Apollo space program in 1968. The Margaret Junior Award is dedicated to girls aged 7 to 18 in Africa and Europe. By showcasing young talents who dare, innovate and who already have an entrepreneurial spirit, the JFD aims to demystify technological sectors and digital professions.
On March 8, we will be presenting the first Margaret Junior prizes to two young girls: Margaret Junior Africa and Margaret Junior Europe.
Two types of profiles will be studied:the budding entrepreneur: an idea that responds to a societal issue (health, environment, education, etc.) through the application of technology; creative: a computer program, an application, a game or the use of a technology (artificial intelligence, 3D, big data, IoT, etc.) in the development of a prototype.
The winners will benefit from media exposure of one million euros, training and mentoring programs to help them develop their projects, digital equipment, a scholarship of 1000 euros.
Highlight of the Program, the Margaret Prize…
The Margaret Prize is made up of four categories: Entrepreneur Europe, Entrepreneur Africa, Intrapreneur Europe and Intrapreneur Africa. All women founders or co-founders of innovative companies, for the “Entrepreneur” category and employees of companies that have developed digital projects in agreement with their employers, while remaining employees, for the “Intrapreneur” category, can apply on our site an application file until February 8, 2021.
An exceptional jury will meet on February 12 to elect the winners who will benefit from media visibility worth € 1 million, mentoring or coaching programs, digital equipment, financial support 5,000 euros for the entrepreneur category and the opportunity to participate in a trip, “the JFD Entrepreneurship Expedition” in the footsteps of Margaret Hamilton.
The Awards have never been greater than this year, the JFD, the Bureau and our partners are offering significant rewards for helping to make successful projects successful.
In light of the latest applications received, what does the 2021 flood look like and what does it tell us about the evolution of the digital ecosystem for women in Africa?
Year after year, I am impressed by the energy brought by African women to the ecosystem. They have always been at the forefront of the continent’s economic growth and they are increasingly carrying out innovative projects that respond to local issues, but also international ones.
In light of the applications received so far, the 2021 vintage promises to be fabulous. We had nearly 350 applications with a strong mobilization of African entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs (70% of applications).
We have once again offered an exceptional platform to entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs like, Jacqueline Mukarukundo, Margaret Entrepreneur Africa 2020, Rwandan co-founder of Wastezon, a mobile application that connects households and recycling industries to treat waste in the part of an environmentally friendly process; Vanessa Moungar, Margaret Intrapreneur Africa 2020, Director of the Gender, Women and Civil Society Department at the African Development Bank, for the Global Gender Summit, whose objective is to share best practices and catalyze investments in order to accelerate progress on gender equality and the empowerment of women in Africa and globally.
The nominees were Fatim Niang Niox, Executive Director of Jokkolabs in Senegal, a professional shared workspace with a community atmosphere; Nigerian, Nneka Mobisson, co-founder of mDoc Healthcare, a social enterprise which aims to significantly reduce the burden of chronic diseases in sub-Saharan Africa by providing patients with integrated care support through mobile platforms and the Internet; Hanae Bezad, President of Douar Tech, which promotes the economic independence of young people in douars, in particular women from precarious backgrounds in rural areas of Morocco, through training in innovative entrepreneurship and intensive technologies.
An ecosystem that you are now part of through JFD Africa. Since the opening of the office in Libreville, what actions, programs, have you or will you carry out on the continent?
With our local and international partners, we set up support programs for women and girls.
As soon as the context allows, we will host training workshops, coaching sessions for personal and professional development, events dedicated to women and young talents at the JFD Club Libreville. JFD Club Libreville is our very first club in Africa, it is led by Camélia Ntoutoume Leclercq, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Higher Education in Gabon.
We are also working closely with 10,000 Coders, whose objective is to integrate by 2025, 10,000 young people from Africa (50% women) in digital professions. This support will be offered in particular to the winner Margaret Junior Africa.
And we are organizing exchange and discovery programs between Africa and Europe.
And at the end, how do you see this year 2021: 2020 was the year of resilience, what about 2021?
Year 2020 has taught us the power of digital, resilience and determination for entrepreneurs. 2021 will be the year of women and of Africa!
Eleanor Roosevelt said “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
For more information: https://joinjfd.com
