To actively contribute to the #breakthebias project, startup Oseven invited us to an action for their staff. We as Genderhood stayed true to our methodological tools and through gamification and brainstorming in groups, we created the webinar titled She* in Tech.
The main objective was to explore the impact that any stereotypical perceptions that staff may carry have on their attitudes and relationships with each other. At the same time, the webinar was the basis for a dialogue on a Gender Equality Plan, which the company is required to draft in the coming period.
Eleni Markou, Machine Learning Engineer at BEAT, was a guest at the webinar. Eleni shared with us her experiences from her first professional steps in a traditionally male-dominated field.
Research shows that the tech industry is almost 75% male, and although the number of women in tech is increasing, it is very disproportionate to the number of men. This imbalance can be a fertile ground for gender bias in an organization. How many are there and why? What challenges do they face, why is it important to increase their numbers, and what are the things we need to do to achieve this? Is it true that in these traditionally male-dominated spaces, women face stereotypes, prejudice and a glass ceiling that is much closer to their heads than in other, less male-dominated fields? These and many other issues will be explored in the workshop with the aim of creating conditions of inclusion and equality for the staff.
The She* in Tech programme was designed by the Genderhood scientific team, as part of the Adults and Empowerment services. The organisation has previously implemented activities for children on bridging the digital divide with the support of Meet and Code.
