Celebrating the work of women who are making a difference in their communities by using the Internet is something that at the Internet Society we care about. Women are building businesses, learning new professions, sharing, and collaborating online. Women are creating new opportunities for themselves and their families by taking advantage of what the Internet has to offer.
And it’s important to continue recognizing the work of these women.
EQUALS in Tech Awards is an opportunity to do so. By providing a platform for outstanding initiatives, the awards are a key piece in increasing the visibility of projects that use the power of technology to empower women and girls all across the globe.
This year’s EQUALS in Tech Awards is looking for initiatives from all stakeholders that improve women’s access to technology, promote female leadership in the tech sector, and build relevant digital skills for women and girls. Research that produces reliable evidence to tackle the digital gender divide will be also recognized.
The awards are organized annually by the EQUALS Global Partnership, an multistakeholder initiative which seeks to achieve gender equality in the digital age.
The Internet Society is proud to be vice-chair of this global movement. As such we work side by side with over 60 other organizations, companies and governments to overcome the barriers faced by women to access and use the Internet.
We know that are a lot of powerful initiatives that are pushing the definitions of global technology toward inclusivity, safety, and integration in new and innovative ways. But we need to identify them, know them, and recognize them.
As partners of EQUALS, we want to encourage our community and all stakeholders to help us to identify those initiatives and #ShineTheLight on them.
Nominate an initiative. Together we can #ShapeTomorrow and build an inclusive Internet with gender equality.
How to nominate an initiative for EQUALS in Tech Awards?
You can nominate yourself or others who have done exceptional work to bridge the digital gender divide.
This year’s EQUALS in Tech Awards will be presented in four categories:
Access: Initiatives related to improving women and girls’ digital technology access, connectivity, and security.
Skills: Initiatives that support the development of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills of women and girls.
Leadership (2 subcategories):
- Initiatives focused on promoting women in decision-making roles within the ICT field.
- Initiatives promoted by tech sector companies to bridge the digital gender divide.
Research: Initiatives prioritizing research on gender digital divides and producing reliable evidence to tackle diversity issues within STEM and computing fields
You can find information about how to submit a nomination here www.equals.org/2018-awards. The deadline is 20 July 2018.
What else can I do to help to tackle the digital gender gap?
- Join SIG Women, which aims to “promote a global neutral space that works towards the involvement of women in technology and contributes to reducing the gender gap in the field.”
- Highlight role models on our #ShineTheLight campaign. We need to continue to hold up women role models and amplify their voices!
- If you have an idea to close the digital gender gap, apply for a Beyond The Net grant.