( CNN ) -- I recently left the Global Forum on Innovation & Technology Entrepreneurship in South Africa , inspired , empowered and hopeful , but extremely impatient to see radical changes to help women in Africa develop a world-class talent in science , technology , engineering , mathematics and businesses . Throughout the event I saw women who were passionate entrepreneurs . They were all seeking new ways of growing their businesses . The women discussed challenges and barriers to success , and how to take their business to the next level . They wanted to grow their network and create global partnerships . Women hold the key to Africa 's development , from agriculture to technology and entrepreneurship . But they still face massive hurdles in many areas of development and they are still financially disadvantaged and lack confidence in starting up businesses in Africa . Mid-career dropout is frequent ; cultural and social boundaries also are hurdles women need to overcome every day . Gender inequality is also a major issue for women looking to get loans from banks ; often , they are not taken seriously . In most African countries women account for a sizable part of the workforce , but still , there are not many places where women entrepreneurs can go for mentoring and support for their businesses . Read this : 'African women need a hand-up not a hand-out ' NGOs and global development organizations have for decades hidden the potential of African women by using them as objects of development and statistics . As Chelsey Rhodes recently wrote , we should not see African women as objects of compassion , microloan applicants or demeaning factory-job seekers . You rarely see an African woman millionaire mentioned in the media , unless she is the daughter of the leader of Angola or an elite Oxford/Harvard graduate . Those women do n't have the time or knowledge to mentor the grassroots of talented young women who are coding and developing apps in Dakar , Senegal , and Kibera in Kenya . We need to make changes and start paying attention to these young women entrepreneurs in Africa . Technology presents new opportunities for African women who want to take their rightful place in society . African women are already using information technology to build networks and partnerships . Sophisticated mobile phones owned by women in cities like Lagos are being used to pass all sorts of information from factory to factory and village to village , delivering a message of openness and freedom . Social media such as Twitter and Facebook has also helped them spread their stories . Read this : 10 African tech voices to follow on Twitter . Technology is also helping women shape the agricultural landscape by breaking down traditional social barriers . Women can now get access to information on their land , stocks and even health matters . In Kampala and Senegal , women are using SMS to help plan for a family , with basic information on sex education and birth control being delivered on their cell phone . Mobile money is also helping them to receive and send money safely and confidently . Read this : Fighting cancer with cell phones . And women are also contributing to creating technology . Recently , we have seen a rise of women coders in Senegal , Kenya , Uganda , Ethiopia , Tanzania and DR Congo . But increasing participation and representation of women across the continent is difficult when in many countries women are held back from full and fair participation in public and technological life . We have to build the pipelines for the next generation of African women leaders , and the only way we can do that is to start finding and creating a good ecosystem for women . With that in mind , Africa Gathering is this week celebrating five years of sharing positive ideas . The event is being held in London on June 21 and 22 , and the theme is `` Hands-on technology : Rise of the makers , the dynamic and the disruptive thinkers in Africa . '' Over two days , this conference for innovators , investors and those with a passion for our continent , will feature world-class speakers and roundtable sessions to cast a spotlight on change-makers , many of them women . And among other things , the event will demonstrate how African innovators -- especially women -- are taking the lead in developing amazing local technological solutions . For more information go to : http : //africagathering2013london.eventbrite.com/ . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Mariéme Jamme .
Women entrepreneurs hold key to Africa 's development , writes Mariéme Jamme . The African Union is set to launch a new initiative on women entrepreneurship in the coming months and will focus on three main areas: education, training and entrepreneurship. Mobile phones are giving women information and new opportunities .