EU and Member States launch global initiative to advance women’s leadership in public ICT

The European Union (EU) and its Member States have launched a new global initiative to promote women's leadership in the public Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. The initiative aims to empower women leaders in public ICT to shape gender-inclusive digital policies, serve as role models for younger generations, and strengthen the inclusion of women in digital transformation.

In today's rapidly digitalising world, integrating a gender perspective into digital policies is more important than ever. Despite progress, women remain significantly underrepresented in digital and leadership roles within public institutions. This continues to sustain inequalities and limits the sector's ability to respond to the diverse needs of society.

The initiative focuses on three strategic pillars: building the capacity of decision-makers to mainstream gender equality in digital policies; improving access to education for women and girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); and combating technology-facilitated gender-based violence.

With a budget of over €15 million, the initiative is co-funded by the EU, France, Estonia, Germany, Belgium and Latvia. It is coordinated by Expertise France and implemented by a consortium of six EU Member State agencies from Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Latvia and Spain.

The initiative was launched during an event bringing together high-level representatives from the EU and its Member States. The event also officially marked the start of work on the next EU Action Plan on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in External Action (2028-2034), with the launch of a public stakeholder consultation.