Celebrating International Women’s Day 2025: Accelerating Action for Digital Inclusion

Happy International Women’s Day 2025!  

 As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we are inspired by this year’s international theme: “Accelerate Action.”

 

  

 

The theme calls for a collective effort to speed up the progress towards gender equality - especially in the digital, data, and tech sectors. At Digital Essex, we are committed to the vision by reducing the digital divide and empowering women through our innovative initiatives.  

 

Women moving into digital roles  

The journey towards gender equity in digital roles remains challenging. Despite the growing demand for skilled workers in technology, women are still underrepresented.  

Code First Girls reports that the UK needs 3 million more skilled tech workers. However, only 150,000 graduates are set to enter the workforce, with just 26,000 of them being women. 

This clear gap shows we must 'Accelerate Action' for women and girls in digital, data, and tech fields. 

 

Jess Flack, Digital Inclusion Lead for Digital Essex, is passionate about bridging the digital divide in Essex. She shares:  

"At Digital Essex, we are committed to reducing the digital divide and empowering women through our innovative initiatives. 

Over the last year, we have launched the Digital Help Finder. This free tool guides residents and providers to local digital inclusion support. It helps assess and develop digital skills. This helps us measure and share the impact we have on digital inclusion.  

“If you live in Essex, please access the Digital Help Finder tool and start assessing your skills today.” 

 

 Digital Help Finder 

 Our Digital Help Finder helps identify the digital skills you need and directs you to local services and available support.  

 You can:  

- Quickly assess and track your current digital skills  

- Discover courses and locations where you can improve your digital skills near to you  

- Get support around accessing devices, connectivity or additional 1-to-1 support 

 

Creating supportive environments  

At Digital Essex, we are dedicated to creating supportive environments like Community Digital Hubs. These hubs provide a safe space for women and girls and the wider community, to learn digital skills at their own pace, with the support of dedicated Digital Champion volunteers.

 

Recognising our achievements  

We are proud that our efforts have been recognised by the United Nations Development Programme, the Digital Inclusion All-Party Parliamentary Group, and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). This recognition highlights the importance of our mission and the positive impact we are making in the community.

  

Looking ahead  

As we look to the future, we are excited to continue expanding our initiatives and reaching even more women across Essex. Our focus remains on closing the digital divide and promoting equity for all. 

We will measure our progress through the Digital Help Finder, allowing us to track the impact of our work and make data-driven decisions to improve our services. This helps the government’s goal for digital inclusion. It also paves the way for a more connected and empowered Essex.

 

Join us in Accelerating Action  

On this International Women’s Day, we invite you to join us in accelerating action for gender equality. Together, we can create a world where every woman can thrive in the digital age.  

Let’s celebrate the achievements of women everywhere and continue to work towards a brighter, more inclusive future.