Today is Girls in ICT Day and events are taking place all over the world to put the spotlight on getting more girls and young women to consider careers in ICT. The European Parliament is also hosting a debate on women in ICT careers and skills development.
First held in 2010, Girls in ICT Day is an initiative that is backed by the member states of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The goal is to empower and encourage girls and young women to consider ICT as a career path.
As part of the events taking place around the globe today, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the ITU are co-organising an event in Brussels to share examples of how to get more girls and women into ICT jobs.
The European Parliament will also host a debate on women in ICT. Key parts of the discussion will include the stereotypical portrayal of girls and women in the media, industry’s responsibility for driving the change in the ICT sector, digital skills, and the business case for getting more women to work in ICT.
The debate will include input from European Commission vice-president Neelie Kroes, who is also commissioner in charge of the Digital Agenda, and Kicki Stridh from the European Association for Women in Science and Technology.
People will be able to watch the women in ICT debate live via webstreaming from 2pm GMT (3pm CEST) until 4.30pm GMT (5.30pm CEST). People can also join in on discussions on the Every Girl Digital Facebook page, via the LinkedIn group EU Women or by using the #girlsdigital or #GirlsinICT hashtags on Twitter.
Women Invent Tomorrow is Silicon Republic’s year-long campaign to champion the role of women in science, technology, engineering and maths
