Technology is shaping the world and the distribution of power today. Although the doors of the ICT industry are formally open to everyone, girls continue to stray from that path – not because of a lack of knowledge or access, but because of quietly imposed expectations about where they “belong”. That is why the campaign “Girls Hack Stereotypes”, implemented by One with the support of the Delegation of the European Union, the Center for Women’s Rights, ICT Cortex, and IEC Tehnopolis, focuses on a fundamental challenge: the absence of women from the space in which the economic and social future is created. Because, where capital and influence are greatest, the presence of women is still the least.
Speaking about the fact that the obstacles are not in technology, but in the environment that imposes stereotypes on girls in advance, the One company says that the issue of gender equality in ICT is actually a question of access to power and decision-making.
“Girls don’t lack access to computers or the internet. They lack an environment that won’t assign them roles before they choose them. This industry is today the epicenter of economic power, and globally, only one in five leadership positions in the tech sector are held by women. They are left out of the decision-making circles. That’s why at One, we believe that this campaign is not about technology, but about breaking free from imposed cultural narratives. Our goal is not to teach them how to fit into the IT sector, but how to ‘hack’ the stereotypes that stand in their way of leading it,” she said. is Biljana Radusinović, Executive Director of Human Resources at One.
The most dangerous stereotypes are precisely those we don’t recognize, said Maja Raičević, Executive Director of the Women’s Rights Center.
“The most dangerous stereotypes are not those that we clearly recognize, but those that impose themselves as unquestionable and common sense. These are often unspoken expectations of the environment and ‘normalized’ assumptions about what is or is not appropriate for girls. That is why it is important that we not only talk about access, but also about who shapes our beliefs and whose voice is considered relevant. Change occurs when we teach both girls and boys to recognize these invisible mechanisms and encourage them to change them. I am glad that through this project, the Center for Women’s Rights has the opportunity to contribute to this,” she told the girls.
ICT Cortex says that girls must see that the space in the IT industry already exists and belongs to them, but also that they have the support to persevere in it and develop their potential.
“In the ICT Cortex community, numerous women are already showing with their knowledge, results, and leadership that they have a place in the IT industry. Our community is the best example that the space exists and that it is more than open, and the task is to show girls that they equally belong there and empower them to persevere despite stereotypes. Because when they develop their skills, they not only find their place in IT, but also become those who build it,” emphasized Maja Laušević Odalović, Executive Director of ICT Cortex.
“At Tehnopolis, we offer girls concrete knowledge and experiences through workshops and practical work. In this way, we allow them to develop skills and question the stereotypes that often hold them back before they even try. Programs like this are not just education, but the beginning of a change in which we see girls as future leaders of the technology scene,” said Vanja Zorić Šundić, Assistant Director at IEC Tehnopolis.
Challenge for girls: Take on the narrative and show how stereotypes are broken
Change begins when girls speak up. That’s why One is inviting female students to show what “hacking” stereotypes look like in their world through digital work – a comic, short video, interactive poster, or other creative format.
Works must be sent by mid-April to this email address: korporativnekomunikacije@1.me.
The works will be presented at a digital exhibition on April 21st at the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro, where the best authors will be awarded, becoming at the same time a kind of sign of social change.
“Because the future of technology must not have pre-set boundaries – and it is girls who can push them!”, sends the message from the One company and its partners.
