Initiatives on Bridging the Gender Gap in the Technology Sector

Transcript

1. Initiatives on Bridging the Gender Gap in the Technology Sector NPO Code for Everyone Yuta Tonegawa, CEO Code for Everyone has been working towards the development of informatics education with a focus on programming education in elementary, junior high, and high schools, as well as in local communities since its establishment in 2015, with the vision of “Fostering a society where anyone can create”. In order to realize our vision, the question that we ask ourselves is: “Are we really reaching out to everyone?" We are working to close various gaps based on this question, but we recognize that there is a particularly large gender gap in the technology sector, which is a key focus of Code for Everyone. Below are some of our key actions and ideas for closing the gender gap in the technology sector. 1. Actions related to informatics education We want to be a creator of the future of informatics education in Japan, working together with the frontline of schools, teachers, educational administrators, academics, companies, and local communities across the country. Internally, we are working to improve the gender balance in the ideation and marketing stages of product development. Outside the company, we take concrete actions to share the issues when gender gaps are identified in various policy-related surveys and meetings. 2. Actions related to school education We promote the active participation of female teachers in informatics education, including programming, and ultimately aim to eliminate unconscious assumptions and gender gaps in school education, such as that "IT and science are the choice of men". We believe that by creating an environment in which female teachers can confidently engage in programming education, we can create an opportunity for many children, regardless of gender, to develop an interest in technology. We also support the creation of a community where female teachers can connect with other female teachers who share their concerns and questions about teaching programming. 3. Actions related to the Third Place for Children Project We operate the third place for children where teenagers can experience cutting-edge technology for free. While these facilities are open to all, we will implement initiatives to reach girls and gender minorities when deemed necessary due to the gender balance of the users.
2. While this may temporarily limit the use of the facilities to children who are not eligible, we will work to create an environment where all children and students can experience and enjoy programming and technology, expand their potential, and provide equitable opportunities. We hope you will understand our cause. 4. Speaker Policy We not only pay attention to the gender balance when we host the events, but we also ask the organizers to improve the gender balance of any opportunities to which we are invited, and if necessary, we will recommend other candidates. 5. Organizational Development One of the values we created in 2018 is “Diversity into Strength” and we have expanded our organization while taking into account the diversity of attributes and ages of our working members. The percentage of women in organizational decision-making is shown in the table below, and we are committed to continuing our efforts. In addition, recognizing the challenges in gender balance in each occupation, we updated our values on diversity to “Let's be aware” in 2023. This is because we want to go one step further from recognizing diversity in our organization to incorporate diverse perspectives that we have overlooked and deliver them to society through our business. We will focus on creating an organization that can go out of its way to realize whether it is taking action to reach “everyone” as stated in our vision. Code for Everyone will continue its efforts to close the gender gap and contribute to building a better future for children by improving diversity in the technology sector. We sincerely appreciate your interest in our activities and look forward to your support and cooperation. Last updated: March 26, 2024