#EUDigitalManifesto – Closing the Digital Gender Gap

Technology has the potential to reshape the world we live in. The European Union has recognized this by allocating 20% of the €750 billion NextGenerationEU budget – a total of €150 billion – to the digital transformation of Europe’s industry and society. But with just 17% of women working in the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) branch, Europe’s tech start-ups are still overwhelmingly dominated by men.

Despite the impact of COVID falling disproportionately on women, 92 out of 100 investor dollars in Europe still go to all-male tech start-up founders. In spite of good intentions, Next Generation EU risks reinforcing a general tendency to a growing digital gender gap and gender lifetime earnings gap that leaves women behind in terms of access to jobs, education, and opportunities. The good news is: We can still turn the situation around if we change the training and funding system.

Join us on March 4 for the #EUDigitalManifesto Conference to find out how we can transform Europe’s digital future

On March 4, from 6-8pm we will discuss how we can make Europe’s digital future more equal. The two-hour webinar will consist of three panels (each 35-minutes long) and feature high-ranking politicians, tech entrepreneurs, digital experts and investment professionals. Together with them, we will discuss how to transform the digital industry extending existing practices in Europe today.

The first panel will target issues of stereotypes and exclusion from the tech world and ways to overcome them. Under the motto “Fix the digital sector instead of ‘fixing’ the women”, the following experts will discuss the current situation and outline possible solutions:

• Christiane Canenbley (Deputy Head of Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Vestager responsible for Europe Fit for the Digital Age) will moderate the debate and discuss with
• Francesca Bria (President of the Italian National Innovation Fund, economic advisor and digital policy expert),
• MEP Maria Graça Carvalho (EPP, Member of the ITRE, AIDA and FEMM Committee) and
• MEP Alexandra Geese (Greens/EFA, Member of the IMCO and BUDG Committee, Green coordinator in the AIDA committee, initiator of the campaign #halfofit).

The second panel is focused on the topic of “Tech Career Training” and will discuss the importance of tech education targeting adult women, who need greater workforce inclusion today – not in 20 years. Hearing from tech pioneers in women’s and minority tech education in Europe, this panel will be moderated by:

• Dr. Nakeema Stefflbauer, founder of the initiative “Frauen-Loop”, who will debate with
• Rosanna Kurrer, Co-founder of the cybersecurity-upskilling training “Cyberwayfinder” and
• Tolúlọpẹ́ Ògúnrẹ̀mí, founder of Coders of Colour in the U.K. and an NGO

The final panel will discuss how we can invest in the future of women. Focused on why receiving funding is much more difficult for women than for men, why all-female start-ups still seem to be at a disadvantage, and what needs to change for women to receive more investment in the future, we welcome:

• MEP Eva Kaili (S&D), Chairwoman of the European Parliament Panel on the Future of Science and Technology (STOA), as moderator together with
• Shiva Dustdar, Head of Innovation Finance at the European Investment Bank,
• Nora Bavey, Partner at Unconvential Ventures, a public angel syndicate and
• Mariana Duarte Silva, entrepreneur, Village Underground Lisboa