“We need to start rewarding being different.”

The CEE Her Breakfast, a roundtable discussion titled “Innovation and Leadership in GeoTech: Collaborating in Diversity,” was held during the 19th edition of the GLOBSEC Forum on 31 August 2024 in Prague. The discussion focused on the intersection of technological innovation and gender diversity within the context of geopolitics and national security. Gender diversity and inclusion within today’s GeoTech reality can foster solution-driven innovation and leadership. Thus, integrating gender diversity and inclusivity as core principles is vital. The panel examined the challenges and opportunities that arise in this area, explored successful strategies and initiatives that can be adapted, and discussed how role models and male allies can help bring change. The event welcomed 28 participants, including 22 women and six men.

The CEE Her Breakfast, moderated by Maithreyi Seetharaman, Founder of Facultas Media, featured four distinguished speakers:

  • Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, Fourth President of the Republic of Croatia
  • Steve Young, President of Satellite Missions at ICEYE
  • Chris Nunn, Interim CEO of the UK Defence Solutions Centre
  • Eva Prudilová, AI/ML & Digital Policy Lead at Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Nad’a Kovalčíková, Senior Analyst and Project Director of the Counter Foreign Interference Initiative at the European Union Institute for Security Studies, as a first respondent, provided her insights after the first round of speakers’ remarks.

The discussion opened by emphasizing the crucial yet often overlooked role of male allies in advancing diversity and inclusion. One of the speakers highlighted the growing threat of cyber threats, particularly against women. Another issue that needs to be addressed is connected to the implicit and explicit biases shaped by societal norms, limiting women’s participation in sectors like technology and STEM. Digital literacy for girls is crucial these days, and there is a need to challenge the stereotypes that discourage them from pursuing careers in these male-dominated areas.

According to data, companies with over 30% female representation are more likely to overperform. With diverse management, employees are usually happier and 50% less likely to leave the workplace. Therefore, it is important to embed inclusion into company policies and practices at the official level. Despite existing efforts on inclusion, it was noted that if current trends continue, only 25% of women will be represented in the ICT sector across Europe by 2030. While admitting that the digital sector still lacks female talent, the question was raised – where is the disconnection?

The discussion then shifted to the defence industry, another male-dominated industry in Europe and globally. Women are not educated to enter the industry. To attract them, the general perspective on the defence industry needs to change to see it as a chance to help people. The discussion also touched on the broader concept of diversity, including neurodiversity, and the importance of creating an inclusive environment that allows for different perspectives to thrive. Today, the defence industry consists primarily of older male figures who share similar experiences; therefore, change is much needed. Women often struggle with career interruptions due to familial responsibilities, which can hinder their long-term professional growth and lead to a career and experience gap when compared to their male colleagues.

Further into the discussion, a rather different perspective was brought up about some young companies’ success in fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. With modern and advanced practices, they include inclusivity and diversity in company policies. For instance, they do not allow a single dominating gender or nationality, and focus on merit-based advancement and neurodiversity. The discussion touched upon diverse decision-making teams again, stressing that homogeneity often leads to repetitive and less innovative outcomes. Another common issue that appears in many companies is the psychological barriers that women face in recognizing their achievements and how organizations can support them in overcoming these challenges. Male allies and role models are vital in helping women take credit for their achievements.

The conversation also touched on broader societal issues, such as the gender pay gap, which remains particularly pronounced in the ICT sector. The panellists agreed that fostering financial literacy among women could be a crucial step toward achieving greater economic equality. Additionally, they discussed the need to value the contributions of women in traditionally female-dominated sectors, such as education, rather than merely pushing them into male-dominated fields.

The discussion concluded with a reflection on the pace of change in the inclusion landscape and how the rapid evolution of technology and society makes it difficult to establish fixed expectations for progress. Instead, there should be a continuous effort to expand the scope of inclusion, recognizing and rewarding differences as strengths rather than obstacles.

Overall, the panel underscored the necessity of integrating gender diversity into the core of technological and geopolitical strategies, not only as a moral imperative but as a driver of innovation and resilience in the face of global challenges.