International Women’s Day 2018: women in media and ICT

For this year's International Women's Day the European Parliament is stressing the importance of the role women play in media and ICT.

Empowering women and girl in media and ICT: Key for the future
International Women's Day takes place on 8 March

The media and information and communication technology (ICT) sectors are among the most competitive and influential industries in the EU and further afield. It is therefore very important that women are as equally represented as men in these sectors. Parliament is of the view that more incentives are needed to get women into higher positions in the world of media and to encourage young girls to choose ICT as a career path.

 

Women in the digital age

 

To raise awareness of these issues, for International Women’s Day 2018 Parliament’s gender equality committee is organising an inter-parliamentary meeting where particular emphasis will be placed on the following issues:

  • Women shaping media
  • Empowering women and girls through digital inclusion
  • Women’s movements on the rise: advancing equality in the digital age.

 

Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, chair of Parliament’s gender equality committee, and Věra Jourová, the EU commissioner for gender equality, will both be in attendance. Other keynote speakers include movie director Sarah Gavron and MadwomenFest founder Pilar Jurado. You can follow the debate online on 8 March from 09.00 CET.

 

On 7 March, Parliament organises a seminar for journalists where speakers will include members of the gender equality committee as well as external experts including Saskia Van Uffelen (CEO of Ericsson Belux, Belgium) and Inge Bell (deputy CEO of Terre des Femmes, Germany). Journalists Marta Garcia-Aller and Hadjar Benmiloud will also be in attendance along with actress Asia Argento who spoke out about an alleged sexual assault at the hands of Harvey Weinstein. You can follow the seminar online on 7 March from 09.30 CET.

 

Join us on Facebook

 

Throughout the week, you will also be able to join several Facebook live chats with members of the Parliament. On 7 March, a live interview will be broadcast with Terry Reintke (Greens/EFA, Germany). Reintke is the author of Parliament’s resolution on gender equality and empowering women in the digital age.

 

The following day, also on Facebook, Michaela Šojdrová (EPP, Czech Republic) will discuss the representation of women in media. Her report on gender equality in the media sector will be put to a vote during the plenary session of 12-15 March.