March 8th is dedicated to celebrating women’s achievements and pushing for women’s rights. It all started in New York with socialist and labour movements on February 28 1909. Back then women were fighting for better working conditions and the right to vote. In 1910, Clara Zetkin, a German communist/socialist and women’s rights activist, proposed the idea of an international day at a conference. The first International Women’s Day was celebrated in 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Switzerland, and Germany. In 1917, women in Russia chose to protest and strike under the slogan “Bread and Peace” on the last Sunday in February (which fell on March 8 on the Gregorian calendar). The latter led to the enactment of women’s suffrage in Russia. The first international agreement to affirm the principle of equality between women and men happened in 1945. It wasn’t until 1977 that the United Nations adopted March 8th as a global holiday.
Since then, the event has grown not only in size but also in its scope. It focuses on issues ranging from violence against women to parity in the workplace. Over time we have gained more recognition, more human rights and more benefits. But it is 2023 and we are still fighting for equal salaries. “[…] (In the US) When we compare men and women in the same or similar occupations who appear nearly identical in background and experience, a gap of about 10 percent [in salary] typically remains”
It is 2023 and when women take longer leaves, to take care of their kids and family, they have a much harder time getting rehired or they lose their jobs over maternity discrimination. It is 2023 but sometimes it feels like 1909 when we just started to fight for better working conditions. We still have a long way to go and I keep asking myself “what can I do?”.
This year, the UN proposed the theme “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.” It highlights how technology is impacting women’s job opportunities. According to the UN, 259 million fewer women have access to the internet than men, and women are largely underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers (STEM)
The World Bank reports that women make up less than a third of the world’s workforce in technology-related fields. I am part of that third and I am aware that it is a privilege. Voltaire and Uncle Ben were right when they said “with great power privilege comes great responsibility”.
Making STEM equally accessible for men and women is very important; exposure to role models and mentors is also essential. Children need exposure to the various tech fields to understand the global impact of technology on our daily lives and to get them excited about being innovative and creative. This exposure can boost their interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
That is why we started WarmiLab. I wanted to share my passion for technology, I wanted to share what is like to be a woman in tech and how we can have an impact in the world we live in. Ultimately, I wanted to inspire young girls like I was as a kid.
From an early age, I was privileged to have been exposed to technology, computers, robots and endless opportunities related to tech. My parents and family were great role models, but I also had fictional role models like Lara Croft and Susan Fletcher, the cryptographer who helped terminate a computer worm that a code-breaking supercomputer couldn’t.
Can you believe that these super badass women inspired me? They aren’t real-life characters, but luckily, we can find real badass women today.
To the women out there, I truly believe you can inspire more girls with your story and your achievements. So let’s get loud and celebrate our milestones, share our struggles and successes. Let’s share what is like to beat the odds and let’s create a new path for the next generations.
That’s exactly why I loved Xena Women in Tech Awards. They created the opportunity to celebrate women in tech, their impact and their achievements. Check their categories! They showed how ordinary women play an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities. So cheers to that 🥂. And cheers to the amazing women who accompanied me and supported me 🥂.
