On the eve of the International Women’s Day, we would like to share some thoughts and point you to some awesome women who have been and still are paving the way to diversity.
The movement for more diversity has been going on for so many years but as with many things, “slow and steady wins the race”. While one might wish for more progress to be done by now, the change needs to be sustainable, take root and keep growing, just like so many things in our lives.
As Achim Steiner, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said in his statement on International Women’s Day 2021:
At We Shape Tech, we too think that women must have the opportunity to play a full role, be it in the transformation driven by COVID-19, in leadership in general and of course in sectors like tech. Diversity makes a big difference in economic performance of products, in the culture of a workspace and as surveys of the UNDP show, even in extraordinary situations like a pandemic (some of the most efficient and exemplary responses to the COVID-19 pandemic were led by women, says the UNDP).
But how does change happen? We always aim to provide you inspiration, interesting facts and food for thought in general. Things, which can help you play an impactful role in increasing diversity. We chose some fitting movements, role models, events and even a twelve-step-guide worthy of the International Women’s Day 2021.
#GenerationEquality
Realizing that now, more than ever especially the younger generations need to be part of the push for equality, the UN Women movement termed Generation Equality is arising and it is definitely something to follow if you want to take part in changing things for the better.
The most important event for gender equality investment and actions, the Generation Equality Forum, kicks off in Mexico City from 29 – 31 March. Drawing leaders, visionaries and activists from around the world on a virtual platform, the push for transformative and lasting change for generations to come will culminate in Paris in June 2021.
Be Part of the Change
Equiterra – Where Gender Equality Is Real
Did you ever wonder what a world with real gender equality would look like? Care to take an imaginary tour? Try this out – but be prepared for the occasional reality check!
12 Steps for Gender Equality
It is not about the rare spotlight moments and it’s not about knowing, it’s about acting pro diversity in our daily lives and in any situation. This is how change happens. UN Women has outlined twelve easy actions that can help you play your role in changing things. Out of the twelve actions, we would like to highlight the ones that are most important to our movement, to increase diversity in tech.
50 Women in the Tech Industry Every Man Should Know
This reading recommendation actually comes from Estelle Autrey, a community member of We Shape Tech, who found this great, inspiring post and wanted to share it with the community. Thanks for this contribution, Estelle!
Triggered by research showing that almost 80% of students cannot name a single famous woman working in tech, the author Julia Olech wanted to bring 50 women in tech into the spotlight that should be as well-known as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg. These women can hold their own and definitely should have a place in the spotlight.
Billionaire and Philanthropist
The We Shape Tech
Role Models
If you want to read about role models a bit closer to home, do check out our Role Model section in the Blog. Every month we ask one individual in our network a few questions about their way into tech, their motivation and their lessons learned.
