This year, International Women’s Day focuses on Balance for Better, aiming to build a gender-balanced world. “Balance is not a women's issue, it's a business issue. The race is on for the gender-balanced boardroom, a gender-balanced government, gender-balanced media coverage, a gender-balance of employees, more gender-balance in wealth, gender-balanced sports coverage ... Gender balance is essential for economies and communities to thrive.”(https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Theme) 

At Barco, we aim to create an inclusive workplace that embraces the diversity of our people. An engineering company by origin, however, Barco employs considerably more male than female workers (72% vs 28%). “In higher management, we can see a positive evolution”, says An Dewaele, Barco’s Chief HR Officer. “From 2014 to 2018, the number of female managers has increased from 12 to 17%. But we still have a long way to go. It’s our responsibility as a company to promote gender balance in the workplace and to inspire and attract young talent to help close the current gender gap.” 

Gender gap at school 

Needless to say, closing the gender gap in technology starts at schools and universities. In the US, women make up just 18% of computer science degrees1. In Europe, only a quarter (25.9 %) of all engineering students are female.2 For companies to attract more female tech profiles, we need to encourage women in technology. This requires tapping into girls’ curiosity, creativity and imagination. 

Shape your own future 

Sparking girls’ imagination is exactly the purpose of Barco’s video campaign. It tells the story of a little girl’s aspirations and highlights the true-to-life details of a technology career path. By holding up a mirror and showing young women who they can become and what they can achieve, Barco wants to get the next generation of female students excited about technology. After all, technology has the power to change the world. 

This 2019 campaign for International Women’s Day is a reminder that we all have our part to play in gender equality. Consider it a manifesto meant to ignite a spark in female students, a call to action, and a rallying cry to shape our own future. Find out more at www.barco.com/techgirls