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THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY

Women in IT Summit

Since the tech giants of the world began diversity reporting back in 2014, some things have changed…but not enough. Globally, there is a notorious lack of representation, across the tech industry, of women, black and minority ethnic professionals, workers with disabilities and those from the LGBTQ+ community.

Progression around gender equity has, arguably, taken larger leaps than other areas of inclusion; however, it remains that women make up only 25% of the workforce in some of the world’s Big Techs (Statista, 2020).

We’re additionally starting to wake up to some deep-rooted issues in the spaces of racial equity, and LGBTQ+ and disability representation. We have seen a less-than-1% increase in black worker representation within some of the most influential tech organizations over the past 7 years. Pandemic-related layoffs in many firms resulted in further declines in BAME employees (CNN, 2020). And while many companies vocally support Pride projects, we are seeing very few LGBTQ+ staff progressing to the top of these companies, with difficult cultural issues reported particularly by transgender professionals across the world.

Last year, over 800 delegates joined us for an inspirational and informative event. The virtual summit will bring together delegates from around the world as we continue to cover the most pressing tech issues and continue the key diversity, equality and inclusion conversations. Through a series of content streams, the agenda will share educational, insightful, and actionable recommendations, providing a platform for working collectively in solving some of the glaring problems we face today.

Registration will be opening shortly! Please check back for updates.

DiversityQ is delighted to announce that nominations are open for the Women in IT Awards USA!

According to a report by The World Bank, women make up less than 40% of the total global workforce. A report from McKinsey found that diverse companies perform better, hire better talent, have more engaged employees and retain workers better than companies that do not focus on diversity and inclusion. Despite this, women remain widely underrepresented in IT roles (CIO United States, 2020).

Progression around gender equity has, arguably, taken larger leaps than other areas of inclusion; globally, there is still a notorious lack of representation of black and minority ethnic professionals, workers with disabilities and those from the LGBTQ+ community. Diversity at all intersections is critical in tech, as it enables companies to create better and safer products that take everyone into consideration, not just one section of society.

The prestigious Women in IT Awards initiative, presented by DiversityQ, has been working to change these statistics since 2015, by providing a regional and global platform to showcase advocates, role models and allies working together to break digital boundaries and promote the importance of a more inclusive tech sector. Year on year we reassess, adapt and innovate, introducing new categories to remain inclusive and considerate of market developments, roles and responsibilities.

We will award high-achievers, advocates and role models across the USA tech sector, from the efforts of entrepreneurs and start-ups, to large corporate and industry champions. This year, there are 20 categories including CTO, DEI Initiative, Next Generation Leader, Innovator and Woman of the Year.

Do you, or someone you know fit the criteria? Nominate today and be a part of this fantastic initiative driving real change; you can submit a self-nomination and share your success story, or enter an individual or organization whose work in the space deserves industry recognition.

By continuing to identify new industry role models, we can inspire students and graduates, build a united community of change-makers, and motivate professionals to continue their work in technology and in the community.

Nominations close on May 14 2021. The winners will be revealed in a virtual ceremony on September 21 2021.

NOMINATE NOW