Title:

Shaping Inclusive Digital Futures: The Importance of Women in Tech Communities

Abstract:

Women remain sorely underrepresented in tech and digital roles, but with what impact? The latest Women in Tech Report from BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, found only 22% of the UK IT workforce are women, and to reach gender parity an extra half a million women would be needed. Yet, with accelerating AI adoption across all areas of society, tech underpins much of modern life. How can we build technology that serves the needs of society if its workforce is not inclusive and representative of its breadth? Who defines the problems to solve, makes design decisions, identifies risks, and challenges harms?

In this session, BCS Women chair, Jo Stansfield, will explore the barriers impacting women in tech careers, and the implications for the products and services that are developed. We will discuss how professional bodies and women in tech communities, such as BCS Women, can accelerate change to build inclusive digital cultures and ensure the benefits of technology are more equitably shared. This work spans representation, retention, progression, and policy to drive equitable outcomes. The remit is broad, and connection across the ecosystem is vital. Participants will consider how they can contribute to reshaping the cultures, practices and power structures that determine who creates our digital futures.

Short bio:

Jo Stansfield is Chair of BCS Women, a specialist group of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. She is also Founder of Inclusioneering, a consultancy specialising in inclusive innovation, and a member of the Board of Directors for ForHumanity, an AI ethics non-profit organisation. An engineer turned business psychologist, Jo helps organisations embed diversity, equity and inclusion into their work, adopt inclusive innovation practices, and develop technology products that deliver more equitable social outcomes.

Connection

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/315857081616811?p=LLxoKSsONp00BTJhPq

Meeting ID: 315 857 081 616 811

Passcode: kA79ux3f

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