ETANA
people without identification
1B
percent of women in low-income countries without ID
44%
WOMEN IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA WIthout ID
> 600M
UN Social Forum
Etana’s presentation at the United Nations Social Forum and the UN’s Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development in Geneva, Switzerland (2023).
About Us
Etana is a solar powered device that uses SMS-gateway and blockchain technology to create digital identification for women in remote environments.
Our mission is to
Empower Women
Support vulnerable communities
create gender inclusive digital economies
SMS-Gateway
An SMS gateway makes it possible for a broader range of devices and applications to communicate with each other. For example, you could use a computer to send an SMS message to someone’s smartphone. Most times, the message leaves your computer in a format that’s incompatible with SMS. SMS gateways translate the message so the mobile device can understand it.
RESOURCES
BLOCKCHAIN & IDENTIFICATION
The use of blockchain technology to combat the digital identification crisis isn’t new, but the problem remains that women are far less likely to have identification in comparison to men.
This idea was inspired by not only the women without access to identification, but the technology companies and startups that learned to utilize this technology before, allowing us to create a more gender-responsive approach to digital identification.
Current Development
We are currently continuing work on a prototype, and working on raising our first round of pre-seed funding.
The intention is to keep women in mind for every step of the design process, which is why we are working with the ThinkPlace office in Nairobi, Kenya to conduct a research pilot.
If you are interested in contributing technically, financially, or in any other way, please email info@elizabethnyamwange.com.
