The high-level meeting was organised by the European Commission’s DG Connect D.3 and aimed to celebrate International Women’s Day and highlight the persistent gender imbalance in the ICT sector.
Digital Decade Policy Programme
Against the backdrop of the Digital Decade Policy Programme and the goal of employing at least 20 million ICT professionals across the EU by 2030, the meeting highlighted gender balance in the digital sector as a necessity to address skills shortages and increase EU competitiveness. Harnessing the talents of girls and women will also promote a more inclusive and representative digital environment overall.
On digital education, entrepreneurship and careers in technology
As a result, the day’s agenda included two panels focusing on digital literacy and supporting women in digital careers and entrepreneurship. In addition to the experts presenting examples of good practice and the challenges they face, the discussion also included thought-provoking comments from policy makers and speakers directly from the European Commission and Parliament – Internal Trade Commissioner Thierry Breton, MEP Lina Gálvez Muñoz, Deputy Director General of DG Connect Renate Nicolay and Digital Europe Director General Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl, who shared a very powerful story of her own journey in IT with participants.
Success in IT does not depend on gender
I was honoured to speak directly in the Berlaymont and discuss with Lisa-Marie Fassl of Female Founders why the representation and visibility of women leaders and entrepreneurs in the tech industry is key to women’s empowerment. We agreed that it is not only an inspiration for all future generations of women, but also key to addressing the immediate challenges facing women in IT roles and the sector today.
Making women visible against stereotypes and myths
Greater representation can help break stereotypes and dispel myths about women’s abilities in technology, encouraging more girls and women to pursue careers in STEM. In Slovakia, we are actively promoting the visibility of women leaders and entrepreneurs in technology through mentoring programmes, networking events and awareness campaigns. At the same time, collaboration between the public and private sectors can strengthen these efforts and create a supportive ecosystem in which women can thrive. One such supportive event is our Girl’s Day, which we organise on 25 April 2024 as an annual celebration of the ITU´s international, and since last year also European Girls in ICT Day.
Now in its 11th year, the aim of the event is to inspire high school girls from all over Slovakia about the world of IT, to show them the possibilities of education and work in the field of technology, and to give them the opportunity to talk directly to women working in IT companies. By bringing companies and universities together, we want to inspire the next generation of women in the digital sphere to make their future a technological one too.
