Sydney, 7 March: To celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March, ACS – the professional association for Australia’s ICT sector – is hosting four dynamic women who will share their experiences and insights on working in start-ups at a premium breakfast event in Barangaroo, Sydney.
City of Sydney Deputy Lord Mayor Linda Scott will officially open the event and introduce the panel of speakers:
● Monica Wulff – Co-founder, Startup Muster
● Siobhan Hayden – COO, HashChing
● Allison Reid – VR Solutions Architect, Equal Reality
● Iris Chan – CMO, FusionGrove
According to the ACS Australia’s Digital Pulse report, the country’s ICT workforce still has diversity issues: only 28% of ICT workers are women and only 12% are aged over 55, compared with 45% and 15% respectively in all professional industries.
The gender difference is even more pronounced in the start-up sector, with Startup Muster’s 2018 survey revealing that just 22.3% of founders are female.
The Digital Pulse report found that the low share of female ICT workers could be holding Australian businesses back, particularly where this gender gap exists at senior levels. It’s been estimated that having equal representation of women in leadership roles could lift labour force participation and add up to $10.8 billion to the Australian economy every year.
ACS President Yohan Ramasundara welcomed International Women’s Day as an opportunity to focus on gender diversity and help drive change through visibility and awareness of women’s issues.
“It’s no secret that our industry still has a long way to go when it comes to the participation of women in ICT roles; the findings from our Digital Pulse report are a stark reminder of that. However at ACS we’re committed to continue raising awareness, promoting discussion and increasing support for women working in ICT.”
“The International Women’s Day breakfast event features a rockstar line-up of ICT talent. It’s a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of not only the panelists, but also our female colleagues around the world.”
Linda Scott said she was pleased the issue of equal gender representation was being raised at the International Women’s Day event.
“Gender inequality in the workplace is a serious issue facing those in our City and beyond. I encourage ACS to continue its push for supporting women and encouraging diversity”.
For more information around the event or to register visit https://www.acs.org.au/cpd-education/event-detail.html?eventId=7010o000001eZ77AAE
-ENDS-
Further information
Troy Steer
Director of Corporate Affairs and Public Policy
M – 0417 173 740
E – troy.steer@acs.org.au
About ACS
ACS is the professional association for Australia's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. More than 40,000 ACS members work in business, education, government and the community. ACS exists to create the environment and provide the opportunities for members and partners to succeed. ACS strives for ICT professionals to be recognised as drivers of innovation in our society, relevant across all sectors, and to promote the formulation of effective policies on ICT and related matters. Visit www.acs.org.au for more information.