ARTICLE

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Pioneers Breaking Barriers and Paving the Way
 

Did you know that behind every technological advancement, there is a woman? Ada Lovelace in computer programming, Hedy Lamarr in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, Margaret Hamilton in the early steps on the moon... These pioneers were able to break barriers with new ideas, demonstrating that women are also part of this industry. 

Unfortunately, their presence in the technology sector remains scarce. A Eurostat study in 2020 revealed that they only represent 17% of professionals in the information and communication technology (ICT) field in the European Union. Globally, only 3% of women study in this field (World Economic Forum: 3 Things to know about women in STEM).

Given this concerning reality, initiatives are being undertaken to promote women's presence in this sector. One example is FCM Travel and FCM Lab in Barcelona, who believe that women are value creators in developing solutions for the business travel industry.

Women on iPad

Organizations have been created to combat the underrepresentation of women in technology in Europe. 

With such a low representation of women in the field, many organizations have sprung up with the aim of educating and attracting women to Tech, but also retaining these female talents.

  • Girls Who Code and Code.org raise awareness among high school and preparatory students about programming. 
  • Women Techmakers is a Google program aimed at promoting women's inclusion in technology by offering mentoring programs, among other initiatives. 
  • Women Who Tech supports women entrepreneurs in the technology and startup fields through networking and funding.
  • The European Centre for Women and Technology brings together companies, universities, associations, and governments from Europe to contribute their expertise in women's development in technology. 
  • Women in Tech® is the world's first organization that promotes inclusion, diversity, and equity in the field of information and communication technologies (STEAM).

Mentorship, targeted hiring, technical and leadership training, and corporate awareness of inclusion and diversity are initiatives that promote equal treatment for women. The goal of these actions is to change the image of the technology industry and contribute to a more equitable and inclusive corporate culture.

Measures to include more women in the technology sector in Europe should be implemented.

Few women have followed in the footsteps of the technology pioneers. Why? It seems that this sector has predominantly been reserved for men. In addition to being a minority, they find executive positions inaccessible, as shown by the international study "Digital Equality: Women in the Digital Revolution." In fact, 53% of women believe they do not have the same access as men to executive positions.

According to Aude Kremer, Chief Technology Officer EMEA for FCM Travel "Transformation must start at the education level, where efforts must be made to create impact during high school by presenting viable options and legitimizing the choice to pursue a technical career before students choose their higher education programs [...]"

Breaking these stereotypes and supporting women's inclusion is crucial. To achieve this, several measures can be implemented to promote the integration of women:

  • Establish educational programs in the form of workshops to raise awareness among young girls about the importance of studying STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).
  • Promote contemporary female role models that allow better identification, such as Safra Catz, CEO of Oracle, or Roxanne Varza, Director of Station F.
  • Implement recruitment policies for women with the aim of achieving parity in executive positions.
  • Encourage lifelong employability through continuous training, allowing the acquisition of new technological or managerial skills.
  • Develop support networks to facilitate the exchange of best practices among women.
  • Value technology companies with inclusive policies and break the gender image by demonstrating the benefits of diversity.

Although the road to gender equality in this field is still long, it is essential to maintain efforts. The development of new technologies relies on diversity and professional equality.

Women in tech at FCM

FCM Travel in a feminine way: they innovate, they develop, they are FCM.

At FCM Travel, we work every day to strengthen the role of women in Tech. Every day, we value women and their careers. 

In addition to holding leadership positions in our company, women are involved in major projects for our organization. Drawing on this experience, we invite them to share their experiences at conferences or through their involvement in associations. 

For FCM, diversity and inclusion are important aspects of promoting an inclusive and fair corporate culture.

Discover the portraits of Aude, Sarah and Triana and,
like them, let yourself be seduced by Tech!

Tech is a constantly evolving sector, and when it comes to women in the industry, the lines are finally starting to move. Gradually, more and more young women are taking the plunge, paving the way for new innovations. To conclude this article, we've decided to give the floor to 3 women in Tech, who are working hard every day to innovate.