Mobile Meetings Series: “Fostering women inclusion in the tech sector”

Start: Wednesday 22 March 2017

End: Wednesday 22 March 2017

Location: Brussels, Belgium

Despite evidence that allowing more women to enter the digital jobs market can create an annual € 9 billion GDP boost in the EU area, there is still a very large gender gap in the European ICT sector. Only 30% of the 7 million people working in the sector are women. They are under-represented at all levels but especially in leadership positions.

Women are more reluctant to take up STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) studies, and only a fraction of female tech graduates actually go on to work in this dynamic sector.

In order to empower women in the tech sector, it is important to support them in three main domains: education, entrepreneurship, research & innovation. The challenges facing female career choices in technology starts with educating our youth and continues with inspiring role models, thought leaders and career mentoring relationships.

The ICT sector is working on paving the way towards a more equal workplace but more needs to be done to ensure a gender balanced industry.

In the context of ongoing discussions on women empowerment in the tech sector, this Mobile Meetings Series breakfast will focus on:

  • What are the key challenges or barriers to female leadership in the ICT sector?
  •  How industry and education systems can work together to foster women`s inclusion in the ICT sector?
  • What role can Members States or the EU play to encourage continued engagement by young girls and women in the field of ICT?
  • What specific instruments (e.g. mentoring) are already in place to reduce the gender gap in the ICT sector?

 

Event summary