Latvia - Liepaja TechGirls Community: towards more women in ICT

Liepaja is a city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea. With a strong focus on upskilling women, the city of Liepaja is full of initiatives aiming to spark women's interest in tech and tap into their creative and intellectual potential. The Liepaja TechGirls community is open to all forms of cooperation that contribute to promoting the ICT sector, strengthening the community and developing individual ICT knowledge and skills of women in the Kurzeme region in order to achieve common goals and celebrate small and big victories. 

Why a tech community and how is this important?

The Community is made up of a group of like-minded individuals with common interest, who share common interests or similar attitudes in a field. The element that brings together a particular community is actually its very root. It is the basis, on which knowledge, opinions, ideas and work are founded upon, and built further. 

In brief: the importance of technology communities

• They contribute to the development of industry, local and global environments;
• In most cases, communities are sustainable: they contribute to building mutual trust amongst different stakeholders and interested parties; 
• The Communities are groups of people with a code of conduct based on respect and help towards others, and orientated towards adding value via knowledge, actions and results; 
• It is also important to mention that communities are changing the world, creating new ways of work, and piloting innovative ideas. 

Making sure tech communities serve everyday people

The picture is similar when we look at why communities are good for individuals too. From an individual perspective, communities are essential: they contribute to a person’s sense of belonging, to a sense that they belong to something bigger than themselves, to the achievement of personal goals, and to the direction of ambitions. It also develops critical and creative thinking and acts as a step to opening up new opportunities.  

Challenges, however, remain: it is difficult to reach breakthroughs in the sector and streamline innovation if the opportunity to participate is not extended to everybody. Balance and equal opportunities have to be established and sustained. With half of the world's population made up of women, the need for balance within the ICT sector is becoming more and more apparent. The tech sector needs to involve women and provide an ecosystem where they are encouraged to learn, train, develop and create ideas. 

The Liepaja TechGirls community: bridging the digital divide

The Liepaja TechGirls community started its activities in October 2019, inspired by the Riga TechGirls initiative. Today, Liepaja TechGirls focuses on raising awareness of the different opportunities for career growth and development in the field of ICT, and on campaigning to make the ICT sector more accessible and welcoming to women of all ages and backgrounds. 

Towards a secure and diverse technology ecosystem

A safe environment is an integral part of each community. It is important that women, who come to training, workshops or simply show an interest in the sector feel free to communicate, share knowledge, ask questions, and feel that the overall atmosphere is relaxed and positive.

Women in Tech is also a global movement: an international non-profit organisation on a mission to bridge the digital skills gender gap and promote career opportunities for women to diversify the ICT sector. This initiative is represented by people, regardless of their gender, age, ethnicity or social level, and Liepaja TechGirls also supports it.

Fighting stereotypes in the ICT sector

We can still hear stereotypes that technology is only for men, but this is far from the truth - and women around the world are proving this. The IT sector is booming: but instead of gender, it should prioritise the interest, motivation and ambition to acquire new knowledge and skills. 

Join in the fun and follow the activities of Liepaja TechGirls online

Join the Liepaja tech women’s community and learn about the ICT sector, as well as equipping you with the most needed digital skills of today’s labour market!

We invite you to follow the activities of Liepaja TechGirls on their Facebook page, where you can find all up-to-date information on different types of events, including networking events, competitions and challenges, exciting trainings and practical workshops, both online and in-person.

For more information, please contact us via email: liepajatechgirls@gmail.com