Empowering women and girls in the ICT field

• June 30, 2023
• Andrew

On the 28th June 2023, an opportunity was given to National Coalitions to showcase a couple of initiatives that focus on empowering women and girls in the ICT field in Malta The workshop was held in Brussels with the participation of Europe’s National Coalitions.  Malta presented the initiatives outlining impact, challenges encountered and the next steps forward.

• In 2022, 81.1% of men were employed as ICT specialists in the EU against 18.9% of women.

• In Malta, it is approximately the same (81.8% against 18.2%).

• In 2022, Tertiary Education attainment level in ICT Specialists in the EU were 65.4%, as against 34.6%

• eSkills Malta Foundation is committed to advancing gender equality and increasing the participation of women in the ICT industry. For a workforce to be successful and creative, gender equality is crucial. • It makes a concerted effort to recruit and keep more women in IT jobs. • The Foundation works with a wide range of partners and stakeholders to advance women in information and communication technology.

• There is a sense of duty on the part of the Foundation to ensure that women may fully participate in and benefit from the digital economy. • https://eskills.org.mt/wpcontent/uploads/2020/05/Recommendationsv7.jpeg) –Roadmap ahead of the Analysis of the gender gap in the Digital Sector Malta 

Best Practices (1)

Women in ICT Focus Group

• The Foundation has formed a Women in ICT Focus Group. This Focus Group is seen as one of the Foundation’s most effective strategies for empowering women in the IT industry. There are between 15 to 20 members coming from organisations that are involved in the digital arena.

• Gender issues are discussed, and initiatives and solutions are proposed at the bimonthly meetings of the focus group. The Foundation will consider these when making policy proposals, and it may be able to take action in some cases.

•Many initiatives evolve from the Women in ICT Focus Group, including several intelligence reports (examples -Guidelines to increase and Retain Women in ICT, Analysis of the Gender Gap in the Digital Sector in Malta, The Attractiveness and Pursuit of Digital Careers for Girls in Malta) 

Best Practices (2)

Best Practice –Women in ICT Bootcamps

• The Foundation organises annual annual Women in ICT bootcamps. This is an opportunity to offer training programs designed to equip girls and women with the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue careers or upskilling opportunities in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). These bootcamps have always proved to be very popular and well attended.

Best Practice –Women Ambassadors

• The Foundation has engaged with many women in the digital sphere who work at various level. These women ambassadors inspire girls and other women to make them aware about the opportunities for women in taking a digital career and to instil the notion that digital skills and careers can be for any gender, culture and religion. (example, https://eskills.org.mt/initiatives/women-in-ict/ambassadors/)

Challenges

Women’s involvement and dedication is one of the most pressing problems and it constantly proves to be very challenging. Fortunately, this isn’t the case for everyone, but it does present a difficulty that the Foundation works hard to address.

Next Steps

• The Foundation will repeat the various digital initiatives that have proved to be valuable.

• The Foundation will also take the challenge to support other initiative created from the coalition members or our network.

• The Foundation will be developing a framework in order to have an organised plan for Women in ICT events in Malta on a yearly basis