The Director of Regulation and Public Affairs of DigitalES, Carmen Sánchez, participated in the I Encuentro Mujeres y Tecnología, organized by the Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence (SEDIA), together with Red.es and the Spanish Agency for the Supervision of Artificial Intelligence (AESIA).

The meeting, held between Women and Girls in Science Day and International Women’s Day, put the spotlight on female leadership in digital transformation, technology entrepreneurship and the development of ethical and bias-free artificial intelligence.

Benchmarks and new generations

The event brought together researchers, entrepreneurs and representatives of the digital ecosystem in different panels on women’s leadership, entrepreneurship and technology.

Carmen Sánchez participated in the block “Dreaming of entrepreneurship: women who inspire, girls who create”, an innovative double pitch format in which established female entrepreneurs shared the stage with young students who presented their own technological projects. This dynamic made it possible to make visible the importance of generating female referents in the STEM field and to connect inspiration and real opportunities for professional development.

The presentations were evaluated by a jury made up of representatives of the investment and entrepreneurial ecosystem such as María Benjumea (founder of Infoempleo and South Summit), Marta Huidobro (president of AEBAN and co-founder of WA4STEAM) and Ángela Alferez (director of Studies and Public Affairs at SpainCap), in addition to Sánchez.

STEM talent and country competitiveness

The meeting concluded with a speech by Minister Óscar López, where he announced a new endowment of 8 million euros for women’s digital entrepreneurship projects through a new agreement with ENISA.

In the subsequent dialogue between the minister and the participants of the table, the main challenges to strengthen female participation in the technological and scientific field were addressed. Carmen Sanchez put the spotlight on Spain’s STEM talent situation, pointing out the findings of our report Challenges and Evolution of STEM Vocations in Spain. warning of the persistence of the gender gap in both studies and professions linked to science, technology and engineering. The Director of Regulation and Public Affairs at DigitalES stressed the need to act from early educational stages, strengthen scientific-technological vocations and consolidate an environment that facilitates the professional development of women in the digital sector. “A country can be digitized with resources, but this digitization can only be assumed when it can incorporate all the female talent needed,” she stressed.

DigitalES’ participation in this meeting reinforces the association’s commitment to an inclusive digital transformation that fully incorporates female talent and contributes to a more competitive, innovative and cohesive economy. Digitalization will only be a true lever of prosperity if it integrates the whole of society and generates equal opportunities.

See full video of the event