D&I Remains Key Focus For Ireland’s Top Tech Companies
6th November 2020
Senior leaders representing 23 of the country’s largest technology companies located in Ireland met for the annual Connecting Women in Technology (CWiT) CEO Forum. Top of the agenda at the virtual gathering was the continued efforts and commitment of CWiT in attracting, retaining and promoting women in the technology sector and to address the gender gap that exists within this community.
This year’s meeting was hosted by Microsoft, one of the founding members of the network. Addressing the audience, Cathriona Hallahan, Managing Director of Microsoft Ireland said: “Almost all workplaces have changed this year with the majority of people required to work remotely. This means that an even greater effort and focus is required to ensure that the gains made in the area of D&I are not lost. Mentoring, support and training must remain a priority regardless of whether people are physically in their office or not. We all need to work together to keep this issue high on the agenda of business leaders so that organisations can continue to benefit from the positive impact that greater diversity delivers.”
2020 has posed significant challenges for all of society and organisations operating across all industries. CWiT member companies were no different, and have in recent months focused on adapting to the ‘new normal’, ensuring the safety of employees and the continued support for customers across the world. At the same time they have remained focused on delivering internal and external programmes aimed at increasing diversity and inclusion in the technology industry.
The COVID-19 pandemic seems to have worked in favour of technology innovations at work, at home and in personal life, but according to TrustRadius
women are disproportionately impacted by the pandemic in the professional setting, which may lead to negative impact on female representation, career progression and gender pay.
CWiT spokesperson and strategy lead Ifah Sivak said: “The past 8 month have been very tough for everyone, but we have continued working together and supporting both our members and our programs in attracting and retaining women in tech. We had to adapt our approach and strategy to fit with everything moving to a virtual environment, while not deprioritising our D&I activities. CWiT has also partnered with TalentHub recruitment agency to help with bridging the female gap through masterclasses and speaking events. We were delighted with the enthusiastic engagement in our virtual room with all of CWiT’s member CEOs, who came together to discuss issues within the tech sector.”
For further information about CWiT visit www.cwit.ie.
