’Trying to get women into tech and recruit senior women is only possible if there’s younger girls coming in,’ says chief executive
Insurtech bosses have responded to Girls in Tech closing its doors after 17 years.
Girls in Tech is a non-profit organisation that aims to close the gender gap in the technology sector.
Founder and chief executive Adriana Gascoigne announced last week that it was with a “heavy heart” that the organisation would close down.
”For 17 years, we have empowered and inspired women in tech, working tirelessly to eliminate the gender gap,” she said on LinkedIn.
“Girls in Tech has always been more than an organisation - it’s a community built on love and passion for technology. I am immensely proud of what we’ve built together and the lasting impact we’ve made.”
Janthana Kaenprakhamroy, chief executive of Tapoly, said Girls in Tech was a ”vital force in supporting female leaders in tech”.
”The closure of Girls in Tech is a significant loss and a missed opportunity for the ongoing opportunity of women in technology and insurtech,” she told Insurance Times.
“Its efforts were crucial in creating a more inclusive and diverse environment and their absence will be felt by many.
”We must continue to push for gender equality and ensure that the progress made by organisations like Girls in Tech is not lost.”
More responses
According to data published by specialist employment law firm GQ Littler in December 2023, just 29 out of 431 top bosses across the insurance sector were women.
Read: TechTalk – Unpicking insurtech’s female underrepresentation problem
Read: Briefing – Not enough female founders and chief executives in insurtech
Explore more insurtech-related content here and discover more news content here
Ed Gaze, chief executive and co-founder of Innovative Risk Labs, said that “helping girls get into tech is really important”.
“Trying to get women into tech and recruit senior women is only possible if there’s younger girls coming in,” he said.
And speaking about Girls in Tech, he felt that these ”kinds of initiatives are good but hard to measure”.
”The outcome is very long-term because you don’t know what a female’s career is going to be like in 20 years’ time because of them being part of that,” Gaze added.
Gascoigne said the organisation had reached over 250,000 people across 35 chapters in 30 countries.
Melissa Collett, chief executive of Insurtech UK, told Insurance Times: “Tech is the future and we want women. [They] should be integral to building that future, but there are still so many barriers to tackle before women can play their full part.
“Collectively, as a sector, we need to address the challenges and continue to champion gender equality in tech.”
Interested in all things insurance technology and insurtech.
Writer of the monthly TechTalk section of the magazine and backchat. When not writing can be found doing yoga, at some kind of dance workshop, singing, globetrotting, or baking – not in any specific order.View full Profile
No comments yet