8 Women Leading the Way in Digital Technology

The tech industry has tremendously grown in the past few decades. However, women remain absent from the field. 

Sexism has been cited as the number one reason for this absence. In the workplace, women are often discriminated against. While, in schools, girls have traditionally been discouraged from studying STEM subjects. 

To ensure that more women enter the industry, it’s essential to expose girls to female role models in tech. Which is why we’re spotlighting 8 women leading the way in digital technology. We hope that these women inspire more girls to defy gender stereotypes and follow their dreams.

The digital revolution is well underway 

In the last decade, digital technology and innovation have transformed our societies, impacting how we tackle some of the world’s biggest problems. We are reaching more people at an increasingly faster pace .

This is great news. 

Here’s the distressing news: women are significantly underrepresented in the field of technology. 

There is a significant gender gap in the technology sector

Currently, only 24% of jobs in the digital economy are held by women. Although the number of women in the tech world has been growing, progress still needs to be made. 

The representation of women in the tech sector matters. Diversity in the workforce contributes to creativity, productivity, and innovation. Women’s experiences – as well as men’s experiences – should inform the direction of digital innovation.

So the question is: what can we do to inspire more girls to pursue careers in tech? 

A book that is making a difference

Here’s one important way we can begin addressing the gender gap in tech: girls need female role models to look up to. 

That’s why Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development published Women in Tech: Inspiration, No Fairytales. The book tells the stories of 30 inspiring women who are succeeding in the tech world. 

From a digital philosopher to a politician, these highly accomplished women are paving the way and demonstrating that it can be done. 

Spreading these stories far and wide 

To make this inspiring book available to more young women, Worldreader has added it to our digital library, making it accessible to the millions of young women who access our library via their mobile phones. 

Since the profiles of these inspiring women were added to our library six months ago, they have reached over 355,000 readers across Sub-Saharan Africa. 

We’re shining a light on eight of the women in this book. We hope you’re as inspired by their stories as we are. Please note: you can only access these books via a mobile phone.

Ivy Barley
Co-founder of Developers In Vogue, Ghana

“Whatever your passion is, you definitely need a lot of diligence and determination.”

Japleen Pasricha
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Feminism In India Online Magazine, India

“Speak up. Take care of yourself before others. And always, always speak up.”

Shinta Witoyo Dhanuwardoyo
CEO And Founder of Bubu.com, Indonesia

“If you believe in your idea, don’t waste too much time just thinking about it.”

Asma Ennaifer
Chief External Relations, Innovation and CSR Officer at Orange Telekom, Tunisia

“The more we give women financial autonomy, the less likely we are to have wars.”

Zahra Shah

Programme Manager at Re: Coded, Iraq/Pakistan

“Technology provides women with a lot of flexibility, no matter what lifestyle they choose.”

Joana Breidenbach
Founder of Betterplace.org and Betterplace.Lab, Germany

“Follow up on your ideas, even if they are not perfect.”

Lorena Jaume-palasí
Founder of Algorithmwatch and The Ethical Tech Society, Germany/Spain

“If it feels unfair, it probably is unfair – so make sure you stand up for yourself.”

Grazia Vittadini
Chief Technology Officer at Airbus, France/Italy

“The only limits are the ones we impose on ourselves.”

This International Women’s Day, you can help us reach more young women with books that will inspire them to dream bigger. Donate to Worldreader today.