2019 Influential Businesswoman Awards

38 Acquisition International - 2019 Influential Businesswomen Awards Women Go Tech Aims to Lessen Gender Gap in Nordic Tech Sector The revolutionary Vilnius-based mentorship program bringing more talented women to the technology industry is set to enter the Nordic market. omen Go Tech , a unique initiative based in Vilnius, Lithuania that is designed to aid women in establishing themselves within the fields of technology and IT, has finished its 3rd season this summer. Now, the Women Go Tech organization is eyeing to enter the Nordic tech scene to see if its mentorship programs could help bridge the tech industry’s gender gap in the Nordic countries such as Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland. The tech industry, in spite of its rapid development, seems to be still lagging in terms of the gender gap. According to the European Institute for Gender Equality , out of about 8 million specialists operating within this sector in the EU, only 17% are women. When it comes to the number of female employees in the ICT sector in individual countries, Lithuania is among the EU leaders. According to Eurostat data , 25.7% of ICT professionals in Lithuania are women - a percentage topped only by one other EU country, Bulgaria (26.5%). In the Nordics, Finland ranks first with 21.8%, with Sweden (20.9%), Denmark (20%), Norway (19.5%), and Iceland (16.4%) following suit. Apparently, the Nordic countries, traditionally a leading force in regards to equal rights, have goals to accomplish before bridging the ICT gender gap, and this is where Woman Go Tech might come into play. Around 70% of women who have completed the program – aimed to help jumpstart careers in tech – are known to be maintaining a steady presence within the industry after the end of their time with the initiative. The initiative operates based on mentorship. Participants of the program who meet the selection criteria are assigned mentors who are high- achieving professionals in their fields. The mentors provide individual aid and work with the candidates for 5–7 months. W “In Lithuania, we have many examples of women that were willing to change their careers or found start-ups, and we are sure that the program will experience similar success in the Nordics,” said Ž ydrūnė Vita itė , one of the initiative’s founders. “Our home base, Vilnius, has the ambition to become the next European tech hub, and that helped our project greatly, but we believe that even women from less tech-oriented locations should have equal chances to pursue their dream careers in tech-related sectors.” Initial research shows that no other program of the same size or duration operating within the Nordic region. Given the fact that the Nordics are typically known to introduce their innovative practices in Lithuania, the tables seem to have turned in the case of Women Go Tech . A feasibility study of Women Go Tech 's potential in the Nordics already received funding by the Nordic countries themselves and is expected to present its conclusions by the end of 2020. Women Go Tech already has a proven track record of attracting an increasing number of applicants and selecting more participants for their mentorship programs. Throughout its three seasons, the number of accepted candidates rose from 45 to 135. A total of 94 mentors were appointed to work with the selected participants during the last season. Many of the largest technological enterprises located in Vilnius have already become partners of Women Go Tech . Women Go Tech is set to provide a breakthrough for women striving to make a place for themselves in the technology industry and reduce the gender gap that is so prevalent in this sector. The Nordics are now expected to be at the forefront of this change. “Our home base, Vilnius, has the ambition to become the next European tech hub, and that helped our project greatly, but we believe that even women from less tech- oriented locations should have equal chances to pursue their dream careers in tech-related sectors.”