Tech Women Summit, the platform dedicated to women of any age who work in IT or want to pursue IT careers

Over the years, women have changed the world and played a considerable role in accelerating techno-scientific progress through innovation and science. Behind many of the inventions that facilitate our lives today are women. For example, modern medicine has seen significant progress after the one-handed manoeuvrable medical syringe was created. Wireless transmissions, bulletproof vests and solar panels are other important things invented by women that make our existence easier. In order to encourage and support women to be as involved as possible in information technology (IT), choose jobs in the industry and secure new professional opportunities, the "Tech Women Summit 2022" was held in Chisinau. The event, which was the third edition, was attended by the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu; special guests from around the country and abroad; women working in the IT field; and enthusiasts who want to pursue a career in this industry.

In her speech, President Maia Sandu not only spoke about women’s leadership in government and the need for women to participate in decision-making processes but also discussed the importance of training women to be actively involved in the political, social and economic life of the country.

Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova: "Involvement is the most important element, encouraging and supporting each other are the second most important things and what you do here is part of these two strong points. I believe that we need to show more solidarity, we women among ourselves. It's important to share the experience and knowledge we have. It’s a job for all of us, because we have a lot of work to do before we can build a free and prosperous country. I also want to share a piece of advice that has helped me. It's easier to get over difficulties when you do things with passion. It can help you even when the conditions are harsh. If you do things with passion, if you have a feeling of contribution to the common good, then no attempt is too great".

The third edition of the summit gathered an impressive community of women interested in IT as well as key industry leaders who talked about their path to success and decision to choose tech careers.

Katarina Fried, Ambassador of Sweden to the Republic of Moldova: "There is demand for women in the IT field, and we must make sure that we create the necessary conditions for them to remain in the field. I believe that all of you present in this room are inspiring women, model women who can contribute to developing this network even further. Let's try to make changes for the better, to create a future based on values, sustainability and innovations. For this journey to be possible, we need many different skills".

Andrea Cuzyova, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Moldova: "Moldova's experience in STEM education – the professions of the future – sets an example for European countries, and I congratulate you on this. But we still know that women hold only 31 per cent of jobs in the IT sector and earn 33 per cent less than men. Gender equality in STEM fields is an end in itself for us, the Moldovan authorities and the tech community. We must support girls and women by giving them opportunities to enter and succeed in this important sector".

Svetlana Andrieș, UN Women Moldova Programme Specialist: "In the Republic of Moldova, the choice of a profession is considerably influenced by gender roles. Girls tend to choose specializations in the humanities, philology, political science, social sciences, social work, etc., which are less paid than those in STEM fields, where men are mainly employed. That's why we support various programmes to empower women in IT. One of them is "Women in Online Work", a programme that encourages Moldovan women to develop skills necessary to work in this sector by either starting a profession from scratch or improving their already acquired skills. Since April, this programme has extended its scope of activity to women and girls from Ukraine who currently live in the Republic of Moldova".

In recent years, the IT community in the Republic of Moldova developed the TEKWILL project, which has implemented dozens of initiatives in the field. Over 45 per cent of its beneficiaries are women.

Irina Oriol, Deputy Coordinator of TEKWILL: "The IT industry in the Republic of Moldova has demonstrated excellence and growth in a very fast tempo, which requires talents, and talents are also held by women. If we look at today's community, the average age of young women is under 30, which tells us that in 10 years, we will have even more talented women in this field. We are absolutely convinced that, together, we can demonstrate that we have great potential for the IT industry".

Stefanie Ciutac, Coordinator and President of "TechWomen Moldova": "Since its establishment, the TechWomen Moldova community has managed to organise over 20 events and initiatives in which about 2,400 women have participated. One of our initiatives is the mentoring programme, a three-month programme that involves experts and mentors dedicating their time and knowledge to several participants, in order for them to retrain in this field later. This year, we registered a record number of graduates from this mentorship programme. Sixty girls and women wanted to gain as much knowledge as possible in this field, and 10 of them managed to get employed in IT immediately after the completion of the programme”.

The event’s participants had the opportunity to get to know professionals in the international IT industry and exchange their experiences. Representatives from Mixbook in Silicon Valley and Pentalog in Europe and Asia are just some of the impressive names that attended the event. In total, over 300 girls and women attended the event and benefited from the chance to get inspired and explore professional opportunities. During the summit, three-set workshops were also organised on QA Manual, QA Automation, DevOps, Big Data, Scrum/Agile and Product Development, where the latest trends, advances and innovative visions were presented.

"Tech Women Summit 2022" was organised with the support of strategic partners, including the Government of Sweden, the EU Delegation in the Republic of Moldova, UN Women, UNDP, SlovakAid, TEKWILL, ATIC and iHub, as well as private IT companies, like Mixbook, Extole, Stefanini, Amdaris, Pentalog, Orange Systems, Enspire Creative, Paynet and OF4.

Tech Women Summit 2022" is a platform dedicated to women of all ages who want a career change, including both students and employed women. The event aims to encourage them to choose professions in IT, a field that requires various skills – creativity, organisation, analysis and logic. The 2022 edition was possible and inclusive thanks to programmes implemented in collaboration with UN Women Moldova.