According to a report by The World Bank, women make up less than 40% of the total global workforce. A report from McKinsey found that diverse companies perform better, hire better talent, have more engaged employees and retain workers better than companies that do not focus on diversity and inclusion. Despite this, women remain widely underrepresented in IT roles (CIO United States, 2020).

Progression around gender equity has, arguably, taken larger leaps than other areas of inclusion; globally, there is still a notorious lack of representation of black and minority ethnic professionals, workers with disabilities and those from the LGBTQ+ community. Diversity at all intersections is critical in tech, as it enables companies to create better and safer products that take everyone into consideration, not just one section of society.

The prestigious Women in IT Awards initiative, presented by DiversityQ, has been working to change these statistics since 2015, by providing a regional and global platform to showcase advocates, role models and allies working together to break digital boundaries and promote the importance of a more inclusive tech sector.

We will come together again this year to shine a light on outstanding talent in the industry, as well as the employers that are implementing diversity initiatives to spearhead real change in the sector, and identify new role models to inspire more diverse talent into careers in tech.

The winners will be announced in an online ceremony on September 21, 2021! Join us in celebrating the outstanding achievements of your colleagues and peers.