AllWomen.tech aims to be the hub for women's global tech talent

This article was written and published in Spanish and has been translated into English via Google Translate. Click here to read the original article.

AllWomen.tech is the first campus worldwide specialized in the training of women in technical disciplines. Those interested in developing their professional career in the technological field will find in the initiative a training offer that covers disciplines of management and leadership of products and digital experiences (Product Management and User Experience Design), as well as a specific training in data science.

The startup, created in Barcelona in 2018 by serial entrepreneurs Laura Fernández, an international expert in the creation of training programs, and Cecilia Tham, CEO and co-founder of Makers of Barcelona, ​​has gathered in a year a community of more than 6,000 women from more than 30 nationalities. The company has held more than 40 training meetings and recruitment of female talent, among which the female hackathon 'SheHacks Adidas', and the challenges Atrápalo and Cofidis, programming and data science respectively. AllWomen has also awarded scholarships to help women with fewer resources with sponsors such as sponsors such as Skyscanner and has established hiring agreements for its students with more than 20 startups and corporations such as Alpha Health of Telefónica, Nestlé, Letgo, Typeform, Xing, Badi or Red Points, among others. Currently, it continues to expand its collaboration agreements with new companies committed to reducing the gender gap in the sector to guarantee the employability of its students.

According to the CEO of allWomen, Laura Fernández, allWomen.tech was born from the need of the women's collective and the technology sector to "increase the figures that indicate that they barely represent 25% of jobs."

Fernández insists:

"We want to do it from the training and experience of empowering experiences for women because knowledge and self-confidence is our most valuable asset in a constantly evolving world."

How do you value your first year in the ecosystem?

It has undoubtedly been a year of learning and more successes than we expected. The truth is that the reception we have had among the community, users, companies, institutions has been very good, all thanks to the effort and commitment of the team and the collaborators; and to the fact that we are a 100% mission driven project.

What does it mean on a personal level to be a woman and fight to provide opportunities for other women as well?

Well, sometimes it's a double-edged sword. I explain myself, the fact that the project focuses on creating new opportunities for women that are like us at the same time, makes everything very intense, it can be hard when things do not go as expected, but it is incredibly positive when you see that You are impacting and improving the lives of these women and that leads us to a somewhat more hopeful future. That's when you stop seeing your clients as such, and more as colleagues, community, family, and that is powerful and very rewarding at the end of the day.

Why is it important that there are initiatives that focus on this sector of the population and more on the technological world?

Because today it is not at all equated and a double effort has to be made for it. We know that the demand for technological professionals does not stop growing, with it many jobs traditionally occupied by women will disappear, in addition to the multiple examples of products existing and used by society on a daily basis that contain biases because they have been created by a single part of the population, which is doubly dangerous, since these products do not meet the needs of everyone and perpetuate stereotypes in a subtle and camouflaged way.

What are the causes of which women represent a low percentage in technology jobs?

There are several theories here, but we can start from the moment we are boys and girls and we are socialized. Some are taught to be one way and they are taught another. Two well separated and marked boxes that have taken us to where we are today: corseted roles, for both genders; even the idea of ​​gender is obsolete and in turn keeps us anchored to the stereotypes that affect our choice of studies, profession, relationships, etc.

Technology or science has been made for and by men, a fact that makes it not attractive or inclusive for women, hence we wanted to create a place that has been created by and for women, to start in this sector Be an affable place where you do not have to face all these stereotypes and behaviors marked by them, where the focus is to learn, empower and overcome only.

What differences exist between Spain and other countries of the European Union in these figures?

The Spanish and European figures are on par, if not in the entire western world. About 20% of tech positions are held by women. The figure drops to 15% if we talk specifically about the data sector and AI, and up to 13% of women are those who start their own businesses. There is still a lot of work to do yet!

In addition to training, what measures are necessary to change the situation?

Training, transparency of salaries so that equal pay is a reality, parity and family reconciliation for all members of a family unit regardless of gender, social, business and institutional awareness. We must make a great effort to try to reverse everything we have not been doing since the beginning of our society. Those are many years to recover, and it would be great to get to know and experience that partnership.

What are your recommendations in this regard to public and private institutions?

Partner with initiatives, associations, companies that work at the bottom of the root, ally and ask for advice while providing resources. Create conversation spaces of all the pillars of society, and then move tab. It is not necessary for each organism to generate its own structure, but it does work with those who already know the subject and provides them with ways and means.

How is your relationship with these institutions? What services do you offer to companies? What experiences have you had with them?

We have worked with companies such as Catch it, Badi, Adidas, Skyscanner, Cofidis, Typeform, King, Banc Sabadell, etc. Companies of all sizes but always around technology. We have provided talent, scholarships, meetings, training etc, and always from a feminist, technological, innovative and community point of view.

What is the profile of women who enter AllWomen.tech and what is their previous trajectory?

Basically we are talking about women with already a professional experience and a career linked to the technological or digital sector but without experience in more technical roles. It could be decided that we recycle and train new profiles adapting them to the demands of the current technological market.

How does your employment situation change once you get out of your training programs and what follow up do you do?

We have women who are looking to change departments within their own company, and they get it. We have others that seek to change company and role, and they also succeed. We have other women who are entrepreneurs and seek to add value and apply their learning in their own project.

At the end of each program we organize a hiring day, our graduates are interviewed by companies such as Nestle, Ubeqoo, Wallapop, Signaturit, Cooltra, Alpha de Telefónica. Today many of our students have already been hired in these companies.

This October has started the second training edition, how would you like to expand the training you are currently offering and what news do you have in mind to introduce in the medium term?

Following the thread of the previous question, we also want to include a full stack programming course, as it remains one of the most demanded skills in the market.

What is your wish for this project in the future?

Be a hub of global technological female talent where training, technological projects on demand, and female entrepreneurship fit.

This article was written and published in Spanish and has been translated into English via Google Translate. Click here to read the original article.

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