Everywoman, the global platform for advancing women in business, has announced a collaboration with Facebook to address the tech industry’s lack of diversity and inclusion.
Facebook is committed to broadening gender diversity across its own business and recognises that its challenges are faced by the industry as a whole.
A key part of the collaboration will be Facebook’s support of the everywoman Tech Hub, a new open-to-all destination to encourage career growth for women in technology roles. The new platform allows members to connect with peers and role models, find mentors, undertake training and access critical career development content. The online portal offers a blend of social networking, online events and content that will enable women working in technology to supercharge their careers.
Facebook will also play a central role in everywoman’s 2021 Tech Forum, which takes place on March 16-18, 2021, delivering workshops, thought leadership and keynote presentations. The partnership will facilitate discussions between senior leaders from cross-sector technology roles to debate the diversity challenges they face and identify solutions to futureproof the industry.
Despite years of progress towards gender equality, women remain underrepresented in the UK’s technology workforce with just 23% of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) roles and a woeful 5% of leadership positions respectively held by women. The pipeline is also heavily skewed towards men with women accounting for just 35% of the UK’s current generation of STEM undergraduates and just 19% studying Computer Sciences and Engineering and Technology respectively. The everywoman x Facebook partnership will provide the tools and network required by ambitious and talented women in tech, supporting their career aspirations. Additionally, the campaign will target younger women, inspiring them to study STEM subjects and transition into the workforce.
Speaking about the partnership, Maxine Benson MBE, (pictured) Co-Founder at everywoman comments: “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”.
Nicola Mendelsohn, VP EMEA, Facebook, adds “Facebook is proud to partner with everywoman to promote diversity and inclusion in the tech industry. The technology sector should reflect the community it serves, yet for too long, women have been under-represented in the tech workforce. The everywoman Tech Hub and 2021 Tech forum will provide mentorship, networking and training to support women as they build careers in STEM, and we’re delighted to support these important initiatives in the year ahead.”
