Championing the cause: Innovation and technology for gender equality

As International Women’s Day approaches, the digital divide between men and women in tech is still evident. Women hold just 26.7% of tech-related jobs – a number that has dramatically decreased over the past two years. This means businesses are losing out on fresh talent with potentially innovative and creative ideas that can lead to new and diverse solutions in technology.

Shining a spotlight on this divide, the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality, which, like the team here at Switchboard, aims to help close the gap.

The digital gender gap

The concept of DigitALL is about promoting innovation and technological change for women worldwide. A big part of this involves closing the digital gap in the workplace, as well as championing the rights of women within these spaces.

We’re not just talking about providing more inclusive digital work options for women, such as remote working (though it is a vital part of the mission behind DigitALL).

At a basic level, we’re talking about digital inclusivity that provides “improved access to internet devices, education and training” that just isn’t being seen by women in certain sectors or regions around the world. This is particularly evident in less developed countries, where men are 21% more likely to have access to the internet than their female counterparts.

Closing the digital divide

Here at Switchboard, we realize just how important it is to close the digital gap and are dedicated to supporting and promoting women in tech roles around the world – empowering them to bring innovation and fresh perspectives that help to create a more diverse industry. So what can we do to champion the DigitALL theme and help close the digital divide?

1. Celebrate women-led achievements in tech

The number of women speakers and panelists at events within the adtech and martech space has grown, giving businesses an amazing opportunity to hear from fresh female voices and come together to champion women-led achievements.

Here at Switchboard, we attend a number of events with diverse panels, including DCN Next Summit, eTail Palm Springs, Digiday Publishing Summit, Shoptalk, Admonsters Publisher Forum Summit, and many more.

2. Don’t just champion women – hire them

At Switchboard, we’re proud of all the women within our company – across Engineering, Customer Success, Sales, Marketing and beyond – who help drive innovative new ideas and revolutionize the future of tech. We believe that truly closing the gap means walking the walk – not just talking the talk.

3. Support programs and initiatives

There are several organizations dedicated to closing the digital divide and making tech roles more accessible to women worldwide. The EDISON Alliance, EY Women in Technology, and Women In AI are just a few of the brilliant initiatives out there that are worth supporting.

4. Take part in inclusion training

Stereotypes and biases (particularly unconscious bias) will inevitably emerge in the workplace from time to time. That’s why it’s so important that employees know – and understand – how they can be inclusive of women in tech roles. This could be in the form of training sessions, courses, or more frequently giving the spotlight to women within your company to have their say on what matters to them.

Interested in working for Switchboard? Or want to find out more about our company culture and ethos? Check out our Careers Page for more information.