Inspirational women key to boosting gender diversity in tech, survey suggests
- Participants at London’s Women of Silicon Roundabout event cited exposure to inspirational speakers as a key reason for attending
- Survey supports existing studies around the importance of role models in increasing
gender diversity - Women in Technology World Series founder says that celebrating inspirational women is key to undermining leadership stereotypes
Access to inspirational role models is key to increasing female representation in the tech sector, a survey suggests.
Attendees at Women of Silicon Roundabout, the flagship event in the Women in Technology World Series, overwhelmingly said that their reason for attending was to listen to inspirational women working in their sector. The event brought together more than 4,500 attendees and involved over 250 speakers.
Just under half (45%) of those in attendance at the event, which ran from 22nd to 23rd November last year, said that they came mainly to listen to talks given by inspirational women. Of those surveyed, 16% said they came with the goal of building their network, while 12% said they hoped to learn about industry trends.
The survey supports existing evidence that exposure to role models is a key factor in boosting gender diversity. Female students have said they are more likely to choose a major in STEM when they are assigned a female professor instead of a male one. Exposure to successful female role models has also been shown to eliminate the gender performance gap and increase the likelihood of positive self-evaluations among women.
Michaela Jeffery-Morrison, CEO of Ascend Global Media and the founder of the Women in Technology World Series, said that stereotypes associated with leadership could make women less likely to move into STEM fields and push for top roles.
“It’s no secret that historically, women have been denied access to leadership positions. This has produced stereotypes that have a negative impact on girls and young women considering a career in tech.
This is why it’s so important to celebrate successful women and give them a platform to inspire others. It’s one of the main reasons we founded the Women in Technology World Series, and our survey shows that women looking to supercharge their careers are coming to our events for that purpose.
By highlighting these inspirational women and celebrating female success in the tech sector, we can really move the needle on gender diversity. We’re proud to be playing our part in that.”
Founded in London in 2015, Women of Silicon Roundabout has become the cornerstone of the global gender diversity movement in tech. Speakers at this year’s event, titled The Power of Resilience, included C-suite executives from the BBC, Natwest, IBM, and other major organisations worldwide.
The keynote topics at this year’s event included the power of storytelling, the role of authenticity in building resilience, and developing a personal brand.
The Women in Technology World Series involves structured networking, talks, Q&As, and workshops and attracts attendees from around the globe.
