The Crypto Ladies League is a community of professional women in Web3. It was established in March 2021 through an initiative by Obinna Iwuno, the founder of one of Africa’s leading blockchain communities – Crypto Bootcamp and the current president of SiBAN.
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The female-focused community is currently led by Joy Joe as the community manager and Joan Umeano as the director. In a chat with Technext, Joy Joe discusses the motivation behind the establishment of the Crypto Ladies League, as well as the giant strides the community has made to foster female participation in the crypto space.
The Crypto Ladies League (CLL)‘s mission
According to Joy Joe, the community’s primary objective is to increase the involvement and participation of women in the crypto and blockchain industries, equipping them with the relevant skills & knowledge to work, innovate, and empower them with opportunities to build.
“The motivation behind Crypto Ladies League was to bridge the gap in skilled talents to serve the industry, address the lack of diversity, and enable innovations in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space. The founder, Obinna Iwuno, recognised that women are significantly underrepresented in the industry and sought to create a supportive community that would encourage more women to enter the field. He created the community and handed it over to women to spearhead.
To achieve our goal, the Crypto Ladies League offers a range of educational resources, training programs, events and networking opportunities to women interested in learning more about blockchain and cryptocurrency. These resources include mentorship programs, online courses, hackathons, webinars, and networking events designed to provide women with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the industry.” – Joy Joe, Community Manager at Crypto Ladies League.
There are now a handful of blockchain ladies’ communities in Africa, but Joy says CLL stands out as a valuable resource centre for professional development through specialised mentorship classes and educational programs tailored to women in the blockchain industry.
She further remarks that Crypto Ladies League is the community where most of the leading women in the Web3 space are members, mentors, and active contributors. Some include Yaliwe Soko, Chairwoman of the United Africa Blockchain Association (UABA); Dr. Tammy Francis, CEO & Founder at Catalyst for Change Global; Deborah Akpokighe, Community Manager at Crypto Bootcamp community, and others.
“At Crypto Ladies League, women gain all round exposure to the industry, while being furnished with the right skills and knowledge in respective areas. We are the one stop shop for everything Web3 unlike other groups specialised in one sector, we take a holistic approach to addressing the existing gaps in the industry as identified by experts in our community and the industry at large.”
Female inclusion in the crypto space
Joy Joe says the reluctance of some women to participate in the blockchain industry might be influenced by some systematic factors, like lack of access to information, resources and opportunities.
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According to her, women may face barriers in accessing networking and mentorship opportunities, which are critical for career development in any industry.
“The blockchain industry is still relatively new, and as a result, there may be limited existing networks for women to tap into and fewer role models to look up to, the lack of deliberate initiatives directed at equipping women to contribute in the industry, which is the gap we are here to fill at Crypto Ladies League.
I believe these barriers can be eliminated with more initiatives, such as; educational and training programs, as well as mentorship programs and work to increase women’s representation among investors and venture capital firms.
In two years of existence, Joy says Crypto Ladies League has been able to onboard more than 1,000 women into the blockchain industry through their annual conference, the ‘International Women’s Day Blockchain Week’ to mark International Women’s Day, and weekly blockchain educational programs, where they’ve created a space for women to learn about blockchain technology, acquire Web3 skills in demand, and events to network with other women professionals in Web3.
The recruitment process to enter the Crypto Ladies League is free and open to all women who are passionate about blockchain technology and have the desire to learn.
“Our Telegram Community is an open group, and the process is simply by an indication of interest and passion to learn. We are also partnering with a big Web3 brand, and will soon be migrating our specialised skills sector to a closed group, where access will be made available to only specialists and intending specialists. An announcement on this partnership will be made soon.”
Joy Joe told me the community would provide mentorship classes for women seeking to build in-demand marketing skills. The mentorship program will run for a month and cover skills ranging from community management, content marketing, SEO and social media marketing.
“We are also coming with a hackathon, an investment program, a talent centre and many more. Our mentorship program is designed to help these ladies develop skills with the guidance and support they need from experienced professionals in the industry.
Every woman in Web3 should get ready for a transformation with CLL.”
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