At last week’s International Women’s Day event in the RDS, Dublin, a panel of four female tech professionals and one “token” male discussed how digital technology – particularly social media – is affecting our lives at home, at school and at work.
Accenture Ireland’s technology lead Hilary O’Meara chaired the panel, which featured Múirne Laffan, managing director, RTÉ Digital; Emer Coleman, deputy director of digital engagement at Government Digital Service, Cabinet Office; Anne Boden, chief operating officer, AIB; Krishna De, digital marketing expert and founder, Biz Growth; and James Whelton, co-founder, CoderDojo.
The most refreshing thing about this largely female panel discussion was that these experienced professionals were not on stage to discuss women in technology, they were there to discuss technology. The result was an engaging, informative and entertaining conversation about how social media is being used in both our personal and professional lives.
Topics for debate included whether social media policies were necessary or detrimental to organisations, and whether this technology is disruptive or helpful to work-life balance. The panel also talked about how we can dispel people’s fears of joining in on social media, teach children to be responsible online, and overall use digital technology in better and smarter ways.
‘Let’s Get Digital’: Accenture Ireland’s IWD panel discussion
Women Invent Tomorrow is Silicon Republic’s year-long campaign to champion the role of women in science, technology, engineering and maths
