Agenda

Although we continue to see increased numbers of women choosing education and careers in technology, they remain underrepresented across development, usage and regulation of technology. From a global perspective, women are less likely to use digital services or enter tech-related careers, yet significantly more likely to face online harassment and violence. In this session we don’t want to simply talk about “women in tech” as though it were a separate branch of technology, but we want to explore why we were drawn to careers in tech and the challenges, opportunities and trends that continue to excite us. We want to also move the conversation toward “tech for women”, looking at ways we can ensure that our presence helps to transform this industry for the good of everyone. This is not to dismiss the barriers we’ve encountered in our careers or underestimate the challenges to come, but to showcase to women and girls that careers in tech are exciting, diverse and rewarding. Some of the questions the panel will discuss are:

• What motivated me toward a tech career?
• Did you fall into tech or were you always in a tech career from education to early work experience?
• What served as barriers?
• Are those barriers persisting or lessening?
• What are the most exciting aspects of technology and technology trends that keep me interested in a tech Career?