WIDCON – Women in Digital project kick-off!

On 6 and 7 February, the Women In Digital (WIDCON) project kick-off meeting took place in Brussels, at the office of the European Vocational Training Association – EVTA.

On average only 19% of women work in ICT. What are the factors that limit women to having careers in tech? The European Commission plans to gather data and best practices on the state of Women in Digital in the EU. There is an increase of women in STEM, but not necessarily in ICT and this is why the EC wants to figure out what keeps women out of the digital field.

The aim of WIDCON is to look at the factors that are keeping women out, to build an inclusive digital Europe, where women will achieve parity in tech, from STEM to digital and beyond. WIDCON will look at the gaps and barriers for women to enter the ICT field. For the next 24 months, WIDCON will be leveraging data, knowledge and networks to drive forward and address the gender imbalance within the digital sector.

In a pivotal kick-off meeting, project partners convened to lay the foundation for the next steps, with a strong focus on key initiatives such as the WiD Index & Scoreboard and the WiD Forum. Gender disparities persist throughout the digital landscape, from early education to leadership roles. Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive approach. The project aims to foster gender equality by ensuring equal exposure to STEM subjects in primary and secondary education, which plays a crucial role in shaping future career paths.

Beyond education, the transition into digital careers remains a critical phase. Higher education and vocational training influence the number of women entering the tech sector, while retention challenges lead many to leave the industry early. Supporting women at entry- and mid-level roles is essential to reversing this trend. Women remain significantly underrepresented in decision-making positions, emphasising the need for structural reforms. Increasing female representation in digital research and innovation remains a challenge, as barriers in academia continue to hinder their progress. With these priorities in focus, the project seeks to drive meaningful change and create a more inclusive digital future.

The focus will be on 3 key areas: data, community engagement and reporting.

WIDCON will:

👉Produce a replicable index for Women in Digital, including an overview of key national actions across Member States.

👉Develop a Women in Digital Forum of experts based on a sustainable operation and financial model

👉Produce an online repository to systematically collect best practices.

👉Each year, we’ll mark our progress with a milestone Women in Digital Summit to share results and provide key recommendations for stakeholders

Soon, the Governing Board of the Women in Digital project will be announced, which will provide strategic direction and oversight to the operations of the WiD Forum. The structure will consist of high-profile experts in the field of the project. Thematic Working Groups (TWG)​ will also be developed, each coordinated by a chair from within the Women in Digital consortium.​ Stay tuned for more news!

BDVA`s mission is to develop the innovation ecosystem that enables and accelerates the Data and AI economy with European values and focus. Having a Europe where women will achieve parity across fields will boost Data and AI innovation. To achieve this, BDVA will work closely with a team of leaders in the advanced skills and digital technologies ecosystem BluSpecs, European Vocational Training Association – EVTA, IDC, EIT Digital, AIOTI, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya.

BDVA looks forward to collaborating with all of the partners to see STEM, ICT, digital and leadership roles develop more equality.