The membership organisation everywoman – a space dedicated to closing the gender pay gap and advancing women in tech-based businesses – recently announced (17 February) a partnership with Facebook, launching an initiative designed help address the UK’s current gender gap in tech and digital industries.
With Facebook pledging to invest in gender inclusion and diversity across its own business and activities, the global Big Tech juggernaut acknowledges the gender inequality reflected in the industry as a whole.
At the heart of the partnership is the everywoman Tech Hub, an open-to-all platform – now supported by Facebook – designed to encourage career growth for aspiring female tech professionals. The Hub is a hybrid social networking site and digital resource catalogue, presenting a space where members can connect with peers and role models, as well as search for mentors, participate in training and access valuable career development content.
On top of this, Facebook will play a key role in delivering everywoman’s Tech Forum this year, a specialist event delivering workshops, thought leadership and keynote presentations, due to take place next month on 16–18 March. The partnership will drive cross-sector conversations between senior leaders who will debate the diversity challenges they face and identify solutions to future-proof tech and digital industries.
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While the gender gap has been a topic of contention in business – and especially tech – for decades, women remain incredibly underrepresented within the technology workforce, with the PwC Women in Tech report showing that women hold just 23% of STEM-based (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) roles and a measly 5% of leadership positions in STEM. The future talent pipeline is also off balance, with females accounting for just 35% of current STEM undergraduates, and just 19% studying computer science, engineering and technology respectively.
Maxine Benson MBE, co-founder of everywoman, commented: “We applaud Facebook for its commitment to diversity and inclusion and its recognition, not only of its own talent challenges, but those of the wider technology macrocosm. For 21 years, everywoman has supported global organisations to deliver gender diversity by empowering women to achieve their professional potential. Gender diversity is an economic imperative and this partnership will both advance exceptional female talent within the tech industry and inspire its pipeline.”