This episode of Exploring Digital Spheres takes us to Mauritania, a country in Northwest Africa, to explore the intersection of technology, gender, and migration. It features in-depth interviews with two remarkable refugee women, Fadimata Aicha Walet Mohamed Issa and Moueny Abdoulwahab, who are talking about their experiences as women in the tech industry in Mauritania. Both share their personal journeys from Mali and Central Africa to Mauritania, highlighting the unique challenges they face as refugee women navigating a new digital landscape. With internet access primarily limited to WhatsApp, Facebook, Tiktok and despite mobile internet being a scarcity, people have found innovative ways to create businesses and build communities.

They leverage these platforms not just for social connection but also to run online retail operations, showcasing remarkable creativity despite constraints. What does it mean to be a woman in this tech sector, especially in the countries of the Sahel region? How does digitalisation play a critical role in their empowerment, despite the multiple forms of discrimination and power dynamics they must overcome? Learn more about the obstacles these women face and how they use technology to try to achieve their goals.

The discussion is part of the Women* in Tech project led by the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Digital Transformation Center (DTC) in Mauritania.

All related publications and information about the WiT project can be found at the project site

You can find Fadimata Aicha Walet Mohamed Issa on TikTok and Moueny Abdoulwahab on Facebook.