May 17, 2023
In 2022, we went from being a partner on Digital Skills for Women to delivering the program ourselves. We strengthened our partnership with co-founders Eilidh Lindsay-Sinclair and Laura Hawkins to expand the Digital Skills for Women program, with generous support from our friends at the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). As founders, their goal was to create a more inclusive and supportive space for women in tech, while also providing educational opportunities to those who wanted to learn more about the tech landscape and avenues available within it.
We have completed two of our four pilot cohorts for Digital Skills for Women and have been amazed by the demand for the program, seeing over 180 applications for 35 seats. As we progressed through each cohort’s phases, we received inquiries from applicants who were not sure if they qualified for the program because they did not identify as women.
To address this issue, we worked with Simply Good Form, a Halifax-based consultancy that champions policy changes for inclusion regardless of gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation. We chose to work with them to explore how to approach inclusion without losing the initial goal of the program; a program created by women for women. The Simply Good Form audit resulted in recommendations for improvements in our communication, application process, and overall structure, with a focus on being as welcoming as possible.
We wanted to make sure that the program was accessible to those who may have faced barriers entering the tech community, including those who do not identify as women. As a result, we have updated our communications and graphics to be more gender-neutral, and we have changed the name and logo to Digital Skills for Women+.
These may seem like small steps, but we believe that they are essential for moving the needle toward equality. If you want to learn more about Digital Skills for Women+, you can find more on our website here.
Our team is committed to supporting equity-deserving individuals in our communities. We acknowledge that there is a lack of data on women of colour and other intersecting identities, such as queer people of colour, people with disabilities, and older individuals. We urge companies to use data to drive change and push for greater equality in their organizations.
Want to talk to our Digital Skills for Women+ team? Reach out to Emily or Vimbayi and they’d be happy to have a discussion! If you’re looking to sponsor, they can tell you more about those options, too.
Emily van den Hoogen, Project Manager
Vimbayi Handara, Project Coordinator