Work on the digital group for Women20

For 2 years now I have been an official delegate of Women20 for the G20. This came about after the invite to apply to take part as Chairwoman of BAWE Scotland, the British Association of Women Entrepreneurs in Scotland. After applications were vetted I was accepted to take part for the first time in Berlin in April 2017 as a delegate to help input into what is required to bring equality for women in digital. This covers all areas from e-commerce to access to skills and equipment, access to mobile, training, education and enterpreneurship. I also participate in work on financial and labour market and rural inclusiveness for women. This year W20 is in Argentina and I have been taking part in the work online to produce a communiqué report for the G20 nations on equality for women in all these areas.

The interesting thing on digital in particular is that in many countries women do not even have access to a desktop or mobile phone due to financial, cultural or religious reasons. They also do not have the knowledge of how to learn to use the internet. In developed countries we talk about different things like training and education or access for the poor to the internet and technology. We do not even have to face these larger issues on infrastructure or being allowed access.

Concentrating on developed countries like the UK we do have an issue with digital and I see it time and time again running my own digital business. Students are dropping out of STEM subjects at an early age, in particular girls. When I say STEM I mean Science Technology English and Maths. And in my definition I would also include Art and so perhaps STEAM is more appropriate. Art includes design and graphics these days and without design, be it drawing, graphics, modelling or computer compelling then no engineering or product development is possible! All governments should be looking to encourage girls to stay on with these subjects throughout their school life and to continue into tertiary education or apprenticeships with them to grow the economy and the wealth of every individual in the nation. Interesting also is the fact that a large number of girls who do STEAM subjects DO enter university at present if taken the subjects to final year at school. They get higher marks in general than boys and they therefore enter university. However if we look at the number who go on into the workforce or who stay on past the first couple of years in work then the drop off is substantial. Much more needs to be done to encourage male leaders to support and promote young women with talent in the workforce. We also need more female digital mentors and scientific mentors to show that women are in the fields of tech, engineering and science and in management and leadership roles.

I plan to continue supporting women in technology and I am now working with the Scottish Government also on the Women in Enterprise Action Group to promote female entrepreneurship and digital skills. In addition I have done some liaison with them along with Pete Mowforth of INDEZ, and meetings with Chatham House in London on pushing education for entrepreneurs and all people who wish to find out more, about digital skills and how to apply them. A digital skills academy is really the way forward for those wishing to learn more about how to work in the digital economy. Small businesses in e-commerce and digital cannot continue to train up school and university leavers only to lose them to larger companies once trained up. The buck stops with the government. We need more money and the right educators who work in the digital industry to do the training as only they are the ones who konw the most up to date regulations and applications. The area is so fast pace that what you learn one week may be out the next. It is a relief to see the G20 nations taking digital skills as a serious area for consideration and on my part I will continue to stay involved and push this forward.