UN Women hosts international conference ‘Tech Her Way: From Learning to Leading in Tech’

To mark International Girls in ICT Day, on 29 and 30 April, Tbilisi hosted the first international conference “Tech Her Way: From Learning to Leading in Tech”, organized by UN Women and supported by the Government of Denmark. The event brought together international speakers alongside representatives from academia, the private sector, business associations, civil society and international organizations as well as tech professionals, start-up founders, women entrepreneurs, innovators and students. The conference was held in partnership with Business and Technology University (BTU), TBC Bank and Tegeta.

The opening ceremony was attended by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Georgia, Hideki Ishizuka; the Deputy Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia, Lucia Di Troia; the Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Norway to Georgia, Rebecca Lie; the UN Women Country Representative in Georgia, Kaori Ishikawa; and the Rector of BTU, Nino Enukidze.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Ishizuka stated: “The approach “to establish a platform for continuous dialogue and share experience” is quite effective and our embassy would like to be engaged in the BTU and UN Women’s initiatives like today’s activity.”

Ms. Di Troia emphasized that gender equality is also a priority for the European Union in Georgia, noting: “A human-centered digital transformation must open new opportunities for women as innovators, researchers, leaders and decision makers. Promoting women’s participation in tech is not only a fair thing to do, but it is also an economic necessity.”

The thematic sessions of the conference focused on the importance of equality and inclusion in technology; the role of diverse teams in innovation and in ensuring success in business; the challenges and barriers that women are facing due to gender stereotypes in tech; strategies to overcome these barriers; and case studies of success. In addition, particular emphasis was placed on access to STEM and digital education, the role of universities, women-founded and women-led start-ups, and women’s employment and career advancement in technology. The conference also featured motivational talks by international and local speakers and practical sessions on artificial intelligence (AI), coding, start-up creation, development and investment attraction.

“It is a very rewarding experience to see how women entrepreneurs are growing, especially in tech, and how the ecosystem’s actors are coming together to promote women’s entrepreneurship and economic empowerment,” said one of the speakers, Audra Shallal, Board Member of the European Business Angel Network, after the conference. She also shared a message for girls aspiring to pursue their career in technology: “You must believe in yourself, focus on your goal and take every step towards it. It is important to walk this path with passion and motivation.”

While the technology sector defines innovation and productivity across virtually all sectors, women’s global representation remains low. In Georgia, only 12 per cent of women have jobs in STEM professions. The sector is also characterized by a significant gender pay gap, with women earning on average 74 per cent of men’s salaries. Such inequality prevents women from fully participating in technology, hindering not only their economic empowerment but also the development of the sector.

The conference directly responded to this reality. It created an international platform for dialogue, experience-sharing and discussions on the elimination of gender inequalities in tech. At the same time, the event showcased effective global programmes and models that promote women in tech. As a result, the conference contributed to empowering women with relevant knowledge, practical skills and valuable networks, presenting successful and inspiring cases, and encouraging girls to choose technology for their education, careers and entrepreneurship. Furthermore, the conference facilitated partnerships among academia, the private sector, start-ups and civil society, aimed at creating new opportunities for women in tech.

Notably, the event also marked the founding of an international hub that will focus on addressing gender inequality in technology and supporting access to tech education for women.

Supported by the Governments of Denmark, Japan and Norway and by the European Union, and in partnership with the private sector and the education sector, UN Women is committed to working towards supporting girls’ engagement in technology. Several important initiatives have already been implemented in Georgia in this direction, including “500 Women in Tech”, “Women in AI” and “Ukrainian Women in Tech”, through which more than 1,700 women acquired relevant knowledge and skills, secured employment and advanced professionally. Last year, in cooperation with BTU and D Block, UN Women also established the TechWomen Community platform, which currently brings together more than 200 women. Moreover, in partnership with BTU, UN Women promotes the Tech Olympiads Hub of Georgia, which aims at supporting the national team’s participation in the world’s leading Informatics Olympiads.

The conference “Tech Her Way: From Learning to Leading in Tech” was held within the framework of the UN Women programme “Women’s Increased Leadership for Resilient and Peaceful Societies”. The programme is implemented by UN Women country offices in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, with the support of the UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, and with generous funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.