Ireland's technology leaders spearhead improving gender balance in the technology sector

Dublin, 15th January 2015 Vodafone Ireland CEO, Anne O'Leary, this morning hosted the first Connecting Women in Technology (CWIT) networking breakfast at its headquarters at Mountain View to discuss gender balance in the technology sector in Ireland. The meeting was attended by CEOs and senior executives from leading global technology companies including Google, Dell, Microsoft, Accenture, Facebook, Intel, IBM, HP, Ernst & Young, Ericsson and Twitter.

This pioneering event is the first of its kind to be organised by the CWIT members to ignite change and encourage women not only to take up roles in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), but to progress within the sector to senior managerial positions.

Women represent less than 25% of the STEM workforce in Ireland, and furthermore, 75% of women working in the technology sector feel that they do not belong in their organisation, compared to 17% of men who feel the same way (European Commission, 2014).

Speaking at the event on the importance of gender balance, Anne O'Leary, CEO, Vodafone Ireland said, 'Diversity, equality and gender balance are crucial to business performance and promote a healthy working environment for all. We have found that women will join companies where they see other women doing well and where they feel comfortable. There has also been number of high-profile business people, both in Ireland and abroad like us speaking out on the importance of gender balance in business . I am delighted that through the CWIT, we have helped opened the discussion and are now taking the first steps necessary for real progress in this area.'

Liam Halpin, Irish General Manager, Dell, also led a discussion on the vital, yet often overlooked role played by men in gender balance, and the most effective ways in which organisations can partner with men to ensure gender equality in the workplace.

CWIT was established and is led by female executives from some of the largest technology corporations in Ireland to tackle this perception by women of the science and technology sector and gender balance within the sector. The organisations involved in CWIT committed themselves to highlighting gender balance as a core business issue and to securing and monitoring progress in this area.

-ENDS-

For more information please contact: Emma Timmons, Vodafone Ireland, emma.timmons@vodafone.com, 0870517930

Vodafone Ireland

Vodafone is Ireland's leading total communications provider with 2.3 million customers. At 30th September 2014, the company had 2.1 million mobile customers and 267,000 customers of its fixed portfolio.Vodafone provides a total range of communications solutions including voice, messaging, data and fixed communications to consumers and to small, medium and large businesses. Since 2011, Vodafone has expanded its enterprise division, offering integrated next-generation fixed and mobile solutions in addition to cloud-based platforms, machine to machine services and professional ICT support.Vodafone Group is one of the world's leading international mobile communications groups with mobile operations in 26 countries, partners with mobile networks in 52 more, and fixed broadband operations in 17 markets. For more information, please visit www.vodafone.ie