Women in Tech Bootcamp: Empowering Future Leaders
Brussels, Wednesday, 7 August 2024.
A summer bootcamp for 29 young women from the EU, Western Balkans, and Ukraine is shaping the future of tech leadership. The program, focused on female empowerment in the digital realm, equips participants with skills ranging from AI ethics to entrepreneurship, addressing the persistent gender gap in the tech industry.
A Week of Intensive Learning
The Summer School for Female Leadership in the Digital Age, organized by Huawei, took place in Warsaw, Poland. This week-long bootcamp brought together 29 young women from diverse backgrounds with a shared goal: to close the gender gap in the tech sector. The program’s curriculum was packed with workshops and panels that covered essential topics such as artificial intelligence (AI), ethics, public speaking, and entrepreneurship. Expert mentors from business, politics, and education provided invaluable insights and guidance.
Spotlight on Participants
Among the participants were Cassandra from Spain and Mylana from Ukraine. These young women, like many others at the bootcamp, were eager to gain the skills needed to make a significant impact in the tech industry. Cassandra, who dreams of developing ethical AI systems, found the sessions on AI ethics particularly enlightening. Mylana, aspiring to be a tech entrepreneur in Ukraine, was inspired by the entrepreneurship panels and the success stories shared by the mentors.
Leadership and Mentorship
Berta Herrero Estalayo, a representative from Huawei, emphasized the importance of having more women in tech leadership roles. ‘Women need to have a say in what the future of technology looks like,’ Estalayo remarked. This sentiment was echoed by Sabina Ciofu of techUK, who highlighted the need for diversity in tech. ‘Good tech requires diversity in backgrounds and thoughts,’ Ciofu stated, advocating for more women from varied academic backgrounds to enter the tech industry, not just those with computer science degrees.
Celebrating Achievements
The bootcamp concluded with a gala and awards ceremony where the participants celebrated their achievements. Cassandra was honored with the Presence and Purpose Queen award for her outstanding engagement and leadership during the program. Mylana received the top accolade of Future Leader, recognizing her potential to drive significant changes in the tech landscape of Ukraine. The event was not just a celebration but a testament to the program’s success in empowering these young women.
The Bigger Picture
This bootcamp is part of a broader initiative to address the gender disparity in the tech industry. According to the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), women make up only 25% of the tech workforce, a decline from 37% in 1984 [GPT]. Programs like the Summer School for Female Leadership in the Digital Age are crucial in reversing this trend by providing women with the skills and confidence they need to succeed in tech. As these young women return to their home countries, they carry with them not only new knowledge but also a renewed sense of purpose to lead and innovate.