Syntec Numérique takes action for women!

Supported by the government, 42 companies and 45 associations, the Fondation Femmes@Numérique was launched yesterday evening, in the presence of a number of key figures: Brigitte Macron, Marlène Schiappa, Muriel Pénicaud, Mounir Mahjoubi, and Jean-Michel Blanquer. Aimed at promoting the place of women in the digital sector, this initiative is the fruit of a strong mobilization by Syntec Numérique, alongside the AFMD, the CGE, the Cigref, Talents du Numérique and Social Builder. This launch reinforces the numerous actions undertaken by the union to position women at the heart of a sector that is still very (too!) masculine.

A foundation to restore parity between men and women in the digital sector

According to the latest figures published by Syntec Numérique1^, women account for just 27.5% of the sector’s workforce; a worrying situation compared to the rest of the economy (47%), which could become catastrophic if action is not taken on a national scale:

Economically disastrous, insofar as all business sectors are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit the quality and quantity of talent they need to drive the digital transformations essential to their competitiveness.

Catastrophic from a societal point of view, because it is unacceptable that the digital society, whose impact on our daily lives is growing, should be thought out, developed and governed by men alone.

It is against this worrying backdrop that Syntec Numérique, AFMD, CGE, Cigref, Talents du Numérique and Social Builder have joined forces to create the Femmes@numérique foundation.

With the support of 45 associations and 42 companies, as well as the commitment of the French government, this initiative aims to give a national dimension to the many initiatives already underway on the subject, in order to raise awareness on a massive scale among the general public, public and private organizations, public authorities, and those involved in training and education:

> Raise the profile and value of women in the digital sector: mobilize a vast network of committed female industry figures, and get them to act as role models in the media, schools and elsewhere.

> Promoting gender diversity in digital professions: a white paper compiling existing best practices in a wide range of companies and organizations concerning the integration of women in digital professions.

> Raising girls’ awareness of digital professions: working closely with young girls in schools to demystify the digital world and, through collaborative workshops and educational kits, give them the appetite and desire to discover and move into digital professions.

> Attracting women who are retraining or upgrading their careers to the digital sector through targeted, tailored professional training.

Syntec Numérique, a union with a long history of commitment

As part of its Femmes du Numérique program created in 2011, Syntec Numérique has carried out numerous actions aimed at:

• Promoting gender equality in the digital ecosystem.
• Promote the attractiveness of the profession, particularly to young women.
• Promoting the digital sector to young female students,
• Breaking down stereotypes,
• Raise awareness of the benefits of careers in new technologies,

In particular, in 2017 the Femmes du Numérique program entered into a partnership with the social startup Social Builder, whose mission is to make gender diversity a reality in professions and decision-making spheres by innovating practices, supporting players and spreading a culture of gender equality among tomorrow’s players.

As a result, several afterworks have been organized this year, on a variety of themes (cybersecurity: a career opportunity for women, or Artificial Intelligence: ethics and gender). Further dates are scheduled for the second half of the year in the Paris region and Rennes.

Syntec Numérique’s commitment also extends to all regions, with a dedicated team of regional delegates who regularly visit schools and colleges and take part in numerous forums and awareness-raising events:

• Brittany :Cécile Martin, Calvados Departmental Council
• Occitanie :Hélène Sardin, Squoring Technologies
• New Aquitaine :Sylviane Bordas, IBM France
• PACA :Stéphanie Ragu, Lauralba Conseil
• Grand Est :Carmen Boisramé, Technology and strategy IT
• Pays de la Loire :Sandrine Charpentier, Femmes du Digital Ouest and Sandrine Fouillé, Femmes du Digital Ouest

Local initiatives are also being run in conjunction with Marie-Pierre Rixain, Member of Parliament for Essonne and Chair of the Delegation for Women’s Rights and Equal Opportunities for Men and Women (Délégation aux droits des femmes et à l’égalité des chances entre les hommes et les femmes).

Syntec Numérique has long been involved in the issue of women in the digital sector. Highly involved at local level, the professional chamber puts members of parliament wishing to get involved in this area in touch with companies or representatives of the Femmes du Numérique network, which is present throughout France.