(L-R) Taina Bofferding, Luxembourg’s Minister for Equality between Women and Men ; Genna Elvin, co-founder of Tadaweb ; Marina Andrieu, Women in Digital Empowerment; Credit: MEGA

On Friday 28 April 2023, Women in Digital Empowerment (WIDE) organised, in the presence of Taina Bofferding, Luxembourg’s Minister for Equality between Women and Men, an official launch event for the girlsindigital.lu platform at the premises of Tadaweb in Esch-Belval.

Girlsindigital.lu is a source of information, bringing together activities, interviews and resources to learn to programme while having fun or to find studies related to the digital field in Luxembourg. It was created in order to encourage and support girls and women interested in digital opportunities.

According to Luxembourg’s Ministry of Equality between Women and Men, only 20% of specialists in ICT (information and communication technologies) were women in Luxembourg in 2022, a figure 1% above the European average, but which has not changed much over the past decade.

Genna Elvin, co-founder of Tadaweb, introduced the event, recalled her journey and her commitment to women's entrepreneurship.

Minister Taina Bofferding then spoke about the importance of including girls and women in IT, mentioning the rise of artificial intelligence and the stereotypes still spread by it. “Many studies confirm that diversity in digital professions is not guaranteed. The crucial question that must therefore be asked is that of the reasons underlying this manifest discrimination and of the remedies that exist to quickly achieve more equality and less discrimination in the digital world.”

Marina Andrieu, director and co-founder of WIDE, expressed the need to continue efforts to reduce the gap between women and men in IT fields, after recalling WIDE's activities and impact on its beneficiaries since 2013. In order to broaden its scope of action and inspire more girls and women, Marina Andrieu also presented WIDE ANDCO, a societal impact company (SIS) and its long-term objectives for gender equality, the acquisition of digital skills and inclusive entrepreneurship.

This event was also an opportunity for WIDE to present game-like activities developed with the support of the Ministry of Equality between Women and Men and aimed at young people. Already tested with various pupils and students in Luxembourg, they will soon be available on the MEGA catalogue or via the wide.lu website.