Today marks International Day of Girls in ICT. The day has been set aside to encourage young women to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The future success of the tech industry rests on the ability to attract talented females. as a result, there is the need to inspire a new generation of young women to become tomorrow’s industry leaders.

Whilst it’s promising that in recent years there has been an awakened interest of STEM subjects in schools, it is important that this translates at the various universities  and in the workplace to encourage young girls to study these subjects.

Whether this is through workshops at school or women’s networks in the workplace, it’s clear more still needs to be done to continue the momentum that has been built up in the early stages of learning all the way through university and into the workplace. The responsibility shouldn’t be solely down to education institutions to foster this interest. From policymakers, to public and private organisations, and especially parents, we all need to tackle biases around women in STEM and showcase how exciting digital jobs can be, both within tech and other sectors.

Lilly Oseyda Jay

CYIB – Curious Minds