Accelerating Female Leadership in the Digital Economy: What Does the Data Tell Us?

In recent years, research has shown an increase in women’s leadership across different sectors but despite incremental progress, women continue to experience barriers and fewer opportunities for advancement than men, particularly in the ICT sector. Among leadership positions in the ICT industry, only 24% are held by women and according to data by the World Economic Forum, less than a third of female students choose to study higher education courses in subjects like maths and engineering, resulting in women being under-represented in STEM-related fields in general.

This event will serve to present key findings from EQUALS’ first joint pilot study on female leadership in the digital economy. It will provide recommendations for both policymakers and the private sector, including mobile network operators, around concrete actions to encourage the advancement of women among the digital economy’s leadership ranks. This study is unique to the tech and mobile sectors and it was undertaken by GSMA in collaboration with Oslo Metropolitan University, the WomeninTech Initiative at UC Berkeley, University of Pennsylvania and University of Washington and Ernst and Young within the framework of the EQUALS global partnership for digital gender equality.

Join the event, organised by the GSMA and the EQUALS global partnership for digital gender equality, to discuss concrete action steps to enable women’s full participation in the leadership of the digital economy.

Programme (15.00-17.00 CET)

15.00 – 15.10 Welcome and Introduction

Belinda Exelby, Chair, EQUALS Steering Committee

Daniel Pataki, Vice President, Policy and Regulation and Head of Europe, Russia and CIS, GSMA

15:10-15:25 Keynote Address

H.E. Andreana Atanasova, Deputy Minister, Information Technology and Communications, Republic of Bulgaria

15:25-15:45 Presentation of Key Research Findings 

Dr. George Anthony Giannoumis, Associate Professor, Oslo Metropolitan University

Tamara Dancheva, International Relations Manager, GSMA

Perceptions of Power: Championing Female Leadership in Tech (Download Now)

15:45-16:50 Panel Discussion and Q&A

Moderator: Doreen Bogdan Martin, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau

Abir Al-Sahlani MEP (Renew Europe, SE)

Paul Mitchell, Senior Director, Technology Policy, Microsoft

Milena Harito Shteto, Chairman & CEO’s office, Orange

16.50-17:00 Conclusions

Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director, International Trade Centre