It'll be very interesting to see the improvements of health care, women and economic development in Africa after this panel discussion. They touched on a lot of great points! I'm pleased to see that they stressed the importance of women for a better future in Africa, but also the need for change in the mindset of men who create challenges for women in these communities. Some women have been able to make positive changes despite their circumstances and the panel discussion hosted by Africare is needed to find effective ways to support these women. For instance, two Kenyan women, Jamila Abbas and Susan Oguya, used their professional IT expertise to launch M-Farm in 2010, a company that helps farmers who were economically exploited. In honor of International Women's Day, Heidi Hautala and Janamitra Devan wrote about the need for women entrepreneurs in developing countries.

"The story of Abbas and Oguya in Kenya can be an inspiration to women around the world. International Women’s Day is an opportunity to honor women like them – and to remember that, because women represent half of the world’s solutions, technology and innovation must be their business, too."