An International Women’s Day event, hosted today by Pink magazine and Gracy’s, focused on how technology and education in the digital age can help the empowerment of women and girls.

This yearly networking lunch and talk has now become an established date on the IWD calendar at Gracy’s Arts and Supper Club in Valletta – and included a panel discussion with female experts in the field of technology.

The talk, led by panel facilitator Trudy Kerr from The She Word, saw the participation of representatives from BMIT, KPMG Digital Solutions, Malta Enterprise, Malta Gaming Authority, MeDirect and MITA, who were inspired by the theme of IWD 2023 – ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’.

Melanie Debattista from Malta Enterprise noted that the gender gap doesn’t exist only in Malta. “When working with international companies, you can see that the majority are led by men,” she said.

Family plays a big role in determining a woman’s lifestyle, she added, more than for men.

Members of the audience debated with the panel.

Guests were treated to lunch at Gracy’s Arts and Supper Club.

Guests at the International Women’s Day event, hosted by Pink magazine and Gracy’s.

Alexia Anastasi from KPMG Digital Solutions spoke about how better awareness can close the gender gap. Having been involved in the tech industry for over a decade, she acknowledged that the industry remains male-dominated with women only accounting for about 19 per cent of the workforce.

“Technical fields are still viewed as less feminine. We need to create more of a balance for a healthier work environment, and narrowing that gap. This leads to more critical thinking, better solutions and an improvement in the business as a whole.”

She added that gender balance leads to more profitability and is not just beneficial to women.

“We need more awareness for younger girls. At a young age there is a lack of awareness of what IT is, what it can offer and how it works. It’s a very innovative area and educators have a crucial role in informing the younger generation and guiding them.”

Head of Authorisations at the Malta Gaming Authority, Christabel Calleja, spoke about the balanced workforce at the MGA, describing it as a welcome change from other tech-oriented companies where females are always largely outnumbered.

“There are studies showing that 15-year-olds are less likely to be guided towards STEM subjects. The problem starts at a very young age and everyone plays a role in normalizing women in these roles,” she said. She continued how even in the gaming industry the products themselves are designed to appeal to males, rather than females.

“We need to promote the idea that women can be whatever they want every single day, not just for one day.”

Jessica Dingli, product manager at MeDirect, said that at school no-one prepares female students about what a career in tech can offer. The sector is vast and the majority of people are not aware, especially at a young age.

Discussing the digital gender gap.

“Students need the opportunity to explore the industry on a practical level. It’s a very interesting industry and people simply assume it’s not for them because they have not been made aware of what it involves,” she said, adding that opportunities existed even for older women and that the sector is not ageist.

Members of the audience debated this, with journalist Ramona Depares and media personality Moira Delia pointing out that industries like media, TV and gaming are wary of employing older women.

Marica Xuereb has been in the industry for 27 years and works as Strategic Initiatives Manager at MITA.

“We make our own way using professionalism. My father in the 1980s encouraged me to take up computing, even though this was the early days of tech. I started studying and maths and computing became my passion. My father believing in me gave me my career, as did my educators,” she explained.

She pointed out how women can be ignored when they speak up, while men are automatically acknowledged.

“I was lucky at MITA, where equality is embraced. What we can bring on board is different from what men can bring on board. My approach is to prove by doing, through action. “

The International Women’s Day event, hosted by Pink magazine and Gracy’s, has become an established date.

Vanessa Psaila from BMIT Technologies discussed how the contemporary workplace has allowed us to start addressing the gender gap.

“The work environment has changed incredibly in recent years, bringing drawbacks and advantages to all genders. It has facilitated equal distribution of work,” she said.

Technology facilitated the remote and hybrid workplace, with AI driven recruitment instilling more fairness and equity.

“Technology is one of the drivers that allows women to push themselves forward,” she concluded.

The event was supported by BMIT, Floreal, KPMG Digital Solutions, MAC Cosmetics, Malta Enterprise, Malta Gaming Authority, MeDirect, MITA, OK Fashion, The She Word, Farsons Direct, Islands8, Nutritional Power, SPN and The London Essence Co.