Sama, the leader in providing data annotation and model validation solutions, today reaffirmed its commitment to investing in women in technology as part across its operations in Kenya, Uganda, North America and Europe. In celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD), and as part of an ongoing effort to pursue gender equality, the company announced plans to foster the development of women at all stages of their careers throughout 2024. This includes hosting lectures at secondary schools, spearheading thought leadership and tech roundtables with influential women in tech and sharing stories of inspiring women both from within the company and the industry across social media.
“The gender poverty gap remains a pressing, growing problem, and the lack of female representation continues to plague AI as an industry. From the beginning, Sama has believed in fostering an environment where every individual, regardless of their gender, can thrive,” said Wendy Gonzalez, CEO of Sama. “It is an honor to play a part in creating the next generation of female leaders and building an inclusive future for AI that benefits everyone.”
Sama is one of the few companies in AI and in tech with large numbers of women on its teams. 53% of the company’s workforce identifies as female; 48% of senior managers identify as female; and 50% of the executive team identifies as female. The company continuously assesses its practices, policies and culture to identify areas for improvement and implement necessary changes, including via third-party, unbiased evaluation where appropriate.
To encourage women to join the formal digital economy, Sama has a number of programs in place. This includes launching a public lecture series intended to educate youth on the opportunities in the tech industry. Sama intends to hold the first lecture at a secondary school for financially disadvantaged girls in Kenya this spring. Sama VP of Marketing Lisa Avvocato will give this inaugural lecture.
Sama’s commitment to gender equality across the company includes the following:
- Starting with IWD events on March 17 at Sama’s East Africa offices, Sama will host fireside chats and other talks by and for women regularly throughout the year.
- Female employees have the opportunity to participate in mentorship programs, leadership development opportunities and skill-building workshops. Sama intends to expand these programs.
- Throughout the month of March, the company will encourage employees to create their own #InspireInclusion image and statement to join in the global conversation.
- Sama will be sharing stories of women’s success at all levels of the company and the industry across social media platforms in 2024, to inspire young women and champion those who are breaking barriers, starting with the Delight video magazine every Monday in March.
- Sama also incorporates gender balance, equal opportunities and pay policies from hiring onward.
Sama’s successes as a company support the Leila Janah Foundation (LJF), its primary shareholder, and its efforts to give work, not aid to underserved women and youth in East Africa. The LJF recently launched its Women Founders Award to provide mentorship and funding to female entrepreneurs in rural western Kenya.
Liliosa Mbirimi, Program Director at the LJF, added: “Women are still more likely to live in poverty than men around the world, and 600 million women are also in insecure, informal jobs. This discrepancy begins in childhood, with more girls living in poverty than boys, and women globally still earn approximately 24% less than men over their lifetimes. Gender inequality in developing countries costs women $9 trillion every year. These sobering statistics are a reminder why the efforts of the LJF, Sama and other companies around the world are vital to ensuring women have an independent path out of poverty and into the formal economy.”
