Celebrating 10 Years of Female Achievements in #Tech

2020 FDM everywoman in Technology Awards invites entries

The 2020 FDM everywoman in Technology Awards will celebrate the achievements of talented women in tech, creating role models that help other women to aspire and advance.  This year’s awards are open for nominations, with a two week extended deadline, and, with no cost to enter, businesses are urged to nominate talented women whose career journeys may inspire others. 

Since the awards launched in 2010, the tech industry has seen women disrupt and revolutionise the way we live, work, travel, shop, eat and date.

2012 winner, Emily Brooke’s revolutionary cycle light, Blaze, is today used across all London’s Santander bikes and has been rolled out to global cities; Bumble’s Whitney Wolfe created a dating app that put control back in the hands of women; everywoman ambassador Carol Kane revolutionised affordable fashion and popularised influencer-led design with Pretty Little Thing; and Fiona McIntosh took the on-demand business model and applied it to the beauty industry with Blow Ltd.

Women in tech are addressing the problem of food waste (Olio) and helping cancer patients access specialist products (Live Better).  They have enabled us to share pets (Borrow My Doggy), compare financial services (Confused.com) and help us to invest in companies that support other women (Ellevest). 

The past decade has also seen women reach the C-Suite at some of the world’s leading technology behemoths – in 2012 Virginia Rometty became CEO of IBM and in 2014 Safra Katz was appointed Co-CEO of Oracle and Susan Wojcicki was made CEO of YouTube. 

Maxine Benson MBE, co-founder of everywoman comments:

“Our award winners show what can be achieved when a woman is empowered. Whilst we can see progress over the last 10 years, the industry continues to face a gaping gender gap.  We must address why just 16% of young women have had technology suggested to them as a career1 and how only half of girls who study IT and tech subjects go on to a work in the field2. Alongside this we need to champion role models to help women to aspire and advance, ultimately increasing the risible 12.6% of female board   members in the tech space3.  The consequence of complacency is gendered technology created by all-male teams and a lack of innovation to tackle issues that are specifically female.”

Sheila Flavell, Chief Operating Officer of FDM Group adds:

“This ten-year milestone underlines the hard work and persistence of so many people in the IT industry and sets a great example for the next generation of female talent. We are very proud to support this important event and provide a platform for the female tech innovators and entrepreneurs who have gone above and beyond in their respective organisations.”

The awards provide an opportunity for companies and individuals to put forward nominees for categories celebrating every stage of the career journey – from school leavers and industry entrants to senior leaders and entrepreneurs.  There is no cost to enter and submissions can be made online until 21 October 2019 with winners announced at an awards ceremony on 4 March 2020.