Place: Room K and Montbrillant Lobby
Although women now fill 40% of high-skill occupations globally, their participation in ICT-related fields continues to be low. Women are nearly absent from software development, in engineering and technology research, artificial intelligence, academia and at the highest levels of policy making. They also tend to leave science and technology jobs at higher rates than men. Barriers to female participation and leadership in ICT include perceived ability, workplace discrimination and financial opportunity.
The interactive physical session will be co-moderated by Sofie Maddens, Chief, Digital Knowledge Hub Department and Marco Obiso, Chief, Digital Network and Society Department.
All physical participants will be divided into four groups, to engage in meaningful discussions, over four key subjects related to the opportunities and challenges of women leadership in tech:
- The importance of women leaders in the tech sector and why do we need more women as role models?
- What to do about women workplace discrimination?
- Why are there fewer financial opportunities for women in tech?
- How to fight women stereotypes and biases in tech?
The groups will rotate amongst four stations, so that each group will have the opportunity to address the above four issues. Each station will have two ITU facilitators, who will then report back to the whole group, once the rotation exercise is finished.
The online session will be co-moderated by Lena Ostlund, EQUALS and Anthony Giannoumis, Vice-Chair of ITU-D Study Group 1.
For the remote participants, a fifth group will be set up online, with the support of remote facilitators, where the participants will also be able to discuss the above questions.
