Digital Skills Academy celebrates International Women’s Day

The Gibraltar Digital Skills Academy celebrated International Women’s Day yesterday, which was themed on innovation and technological change and education in the digital age.  

Some 25 female students attended and spoke with the Minister for Equality, Samantha Sacramento.  

“Addressing the under-representation of women and girls in technology is one of the main strands of the Ministry of Equality’s Gender Equality Strategy,” a spokesperson for the Ministry of Equality said.  

“For many the Ministry worked closely with the local chapter of Girls in Tech to promote and raise awareness of careers in this field through events such as their annual Hackathon which enjoyed the Ministry’s full support.” 

The Ministry for Equality has also organised several events over the years with the aim to narrow and close the digital skills gap.  

“We want to recognise and celebrate that girls and women have a space and the opportunity to get involved in technology,” Stewart Harrison, Director of the Gibraltar Digital Skills Academy, said.  

“It is a worldwide problem, and ‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’ is one of the goals of the UN’s sustainable development goals.” 

“Currently, our ratios in the academy are far fairer than the gender gap in the technology job market and we have been working for years to attract girls into this field.”  

“I want to empower them, grow their confidence and watch them thrive.”  

“It’s also about educating boys and men to help close the gender digital skills gap.”  

Mr Harrison said Lauren Chipolina and Roxanne Martos led the classes at the academy, and had done amazing work. 

“The fact our students are loving what they do after all this time with us, is a tangible measure of our success,” Mr Harrison said.   

“Today, to mark International Women’s Day is the perfect opportunity to bring all our female students together and make them know how important it is for them to embrace learning technology.” 

Ms Sacramento described the Digital Skills Academy as a “an innovative space which is leading on developing the very necessary digital skills for our future generations”.  

“Globally, there is a significant gender gap in Technology but I am delighted to see that the Digital Skills Foundation, through its work at the Academy, is working to close that gap,” she said.  

“The Ministry of Equality has supported the Digital Skills Foundation since its inception and has been working closely with the Digital Skills Foundation since then.”  

“Raising the profile and the visibility of girls and women in Tech is an important first step in sending the vitally important message to everyone in the community that there is a definite place and role for women in this ground-breaking and well remunerated field.”  

“I was also very happy to learn that an all-girls cyber team has made it to the final in the UK.”  

“I would like to congratulate this team and wish them every success for the forth coming event.”