As the general shortage of ICT specialists persists on the European Union market, the number of ICT vacancies continues to rise. According to the 2022 Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) 55% of enterprises continue to report difficulties in filling these job openings. In this context, there is also an acute problem of gender imbalance, with only “19% of ICT specialists and one in three science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics (STEM) graduates being women”.
Women’s underrepresentation in the technology sector may affect the way digital solutions are developed and deployed, and hinder Europe’s ambition to become Fit for the Digital Age. Progress in addressing this persistent gender gap is rather slow despite the momentum for change being driven by the EU.
This breakfast roundtable will take stock of the gender imbalance in the technology sector and ask: How can we enable more women to choose a technology career and ensure that they finish their studies and start successful careers in the field?; What are the technical skills needed and the different career paths you can take within the technology sector?; What are the top in demand digital skills in today’s labour market?; What training and learning opportunities are available to ensure one’s profile’s competitiveness?; How to support and inspire young women in their careers and help them to overcome the main hurdles that prevent women to reach senior positions?
Finally, the roundtable will provide participants with a tool kit, with tips and tricks that will support their journey toward the technology industry.
The Brussels Binder is the go-to resource for improving gender balance in policy debates. The Brussels Binder is a common good – a free database consisting of profiles of female experts based in Europe. It covers a multitude of sectors and it is constantly growing. Finally, it is a place where women experts connect and exchange. For conference organisers, using the Brussels Binder is an easy, free and quick way to get access to a Europe-wide network of quality speakers. For experts, it is a tool to increase the visibility and impact of their analysis.
Please note: In person participation is limited to 30 people on sight. In person attendance will be secured in a first come first served basis.
Hybrid attendees will also be able to join online.
Meet some of the speakers sharing insights at our January event.
Chair of COST Action ‘European Network For Gender Balance in Informatics (EUGAIN)’
BiographySoftware Engineering Manager, Founder of Syrian Women in Tech (SWIT) and Chair of the Brussels Binder Database Team
BiographyDirector, Trade and Industrial Policy, European Government Affairs, Microsoft
BiographyLetizia Jaccheri (PhD from Politecnico di Torino, Italy) is a Professor at the Department of Computer Science of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway. Jaccheri has been teaching courses in software engineering at various levels and acted as one of the independent directors of Reply S.p.A., one of the largest Italian IT company with 9059 employees. She has supervised and she is supervising several master and PhD students. From 2013 to 2017 she was department head for the Computer Science department at NTNU. She is ACM Distinguished speaker. She is involved in several research projects, and she leads the COST Action CA19122 Gender Balance in Informatics EUGAIN with 155 members from 39 European countries. Jaccheri has plans to continue to contribute to address the issue of diversity in computer science.
Laila Deeb is a Software Engineering Manager, Chair of the Database team in the Brussels binder, and the founder of (SWIT) Syrian Women In Tech, an organization that aims to connect the Top women software engineers from Syria with the Belgian job market.
Esa Kaunistola is Director, Trade and Industrial Policy, European Government Affairs with Microsoft. He also leads Transatlantic relations, accessibility policy and diversity and inclusion in Microsoft Brussels office.
Prior to joining Microsoft he was Director, Trade Policy and before that Director, Finance Legal, with Nokia Group where he also held other senior business and corporate legal counsel positions. He was also trained at the bench and acted as a Deputy District Judge in District Court of Raseborg.
He represents Microsoft and chairs and has chaired many trade and digital committees and policy groups in various industry organisations and trade associations, including Digitaleurope, Businesseurope, European Services Forum, EK/Confederation of Finnish Industries, and Finnish Chamber of Commerce.
He graduated in Law (Juris magister) from the University of Helsinki. He also holds a Master of Laws degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
This event will take place in a hybrid format, with both virtual and in-person attendance.
If you are interested in participating in the conference in-person, we recommend that you please express interest for a place as soon as you register. Those attending in-person will be invited to a reception after the final session, to enjoy networking and conversation.
We will continue to monitor ongoing COVID-19 regulations, follow recommendations regarding masks, social distancing, and sanitation set out by the venue and local authorities and may revise the capacity limit based on the advice received.