Startups
Why We’re KickStarting this Caribbean Women in Tech Event Series Now?
With unprecedented access to information, people, ideas and online resources we can now choose how to live, work and do business differently. The global connectivity enables by technology has become a great leveler of the playing field and now affords us the ability to leverage existing skills and ideas, as well as develop new skills and ideas for careers and business opportunities than ever before.
So the possibilities of careers, leadership, and entrepreneurship in technology are endless but since this Digital Age and the commercial side of the Internet has really kicked in just over a quarter-century ago- there has been a glaring gender gap.
Yes, there is a gender problem globally and in the Caribbean in the Tech/Digital Industry – on the leadership, career and entrepreneurship levels. While Women are the lead consumers, they are lagging behind, in being the lead creators, executives, and entrepreneurs.
“We have to broaden the narrative about what is possible in tech and the digital economy for women.”
But we have the power to change it all.
1. Women and Girls must be freshly socialised to understand, own and leverage their power. For me, everything begins with the right mindset. Women and Girls must be taught, shown – that there is power in how they think. They must be taught and shown how to play to their unique female-centric strengths of being problem solvers, resourceful, collaborative, communicative and emotionally intelligent. They must be educated on how to see problems around them and ask how can they use technology in all its various forms – to solve those problems or create a major desire in people and do so profitably.
2. Create More Targeted Content.
Media is important in showcasing and spreading the messaging and image of what success in Technology careers and businesses by women look like. We need to see this in traditional media but with the advent of online media publishing platforms such as blogs, as well as other platforms, like LinkedIn, Twitter, Medium, Youtube and Instagram – we all now as individuals can create our own media publishing empires to promote our own. So let’s do more of that.
3. Generally, mainstream media, governments, companies, parents and even some of our own women tech entrepreneurs must become better at marketing to our children, college students, young professionals, peers the limitless range of career and business opportunities in the technology industry, in the Digital Economy.
We must continue to change the narrative and imagery of Women in Digital.
Did you know that Women Rule the Web? Here are four factoids for you to chew on:
- As more consumers reach for their smartphones and tablets to shop and communicate, there is a pressing need for commerce sites that cater to women, who control 70% of online purchases worldwide.
-Women will influence the purchase of US$15 trillion in goods in 2014, according to Boston Consulting Group.
-Female users are the unsung heroines behind the most engaging, fastest-growing and most valuable consumer Internet and e-commerce companies,” says venture capitalist Aileen Lee.
-60% of Facebook’s membership of 1.49 billion people is female.
In my mind, it’s time we leverage the power of the fact that Women Rule the Web and that there is an active move globally to have more girls and women seeking leadership, careers and business opportunities in the Tech Industry, in the Digital Economy.
The Caribbean Women in Tech Event Series is an initiative of SiliconCaribe. The initial event was held on International Girls in ICT Day in 2018 and now we are kickstarting the event series on Thursday, January 30th, 2020, at JAMPRO HQ, 6:30 pm Sharp.
The event is open to women in University and College; professionals, executives, and entrepreneurs in Tech and the Digital Economy, as well as those who are curious and want to know more about the trends and possibilities.
We have a diverse and exciting panel of women who will share their stories and speak to the trends and opportunities connected to the theme: DisruptHer | The Future of Women in Digital. There will be time for meaningful networking as well as a couple of digital experiences at the end of the panel discussion.
Join the community, tell your colleagues and friends. Sign up, get your tickets, our seats are limited.
My Team and I look forward to meeting you there.
Ingrid Riley, Founder of SiliconCaribe