Europe | Netherlands | Technology

Netherlands uses female role models to encourage girls into IT industry

The lack of women in the IT sector in the Netherlands is an urgent problem, with only 10% of the workforce female. The country compares badly with other countries worldwide despite new initiatives, as well as established organisations campaigning to encourage girls and women into IT. It’s remarkable there are so few women working in IT, as the beginning of automation was dominated by women. Many of the early electronic computers, such as Eniac in the US and the Arra in the Netherlands, were operated and programmed by women. VHTO is working with female professionals to provide childr

Europe | France | Health

French woman wins disability grant for ‘gadget allergy’

Source: Yahoo

A French court has awarded a disability grant to a woman claiming to suffer from a debilitating allergy to electromagnetic radiation from everyday gadgets such as cellphones. The applicant, Marine Richard, 39, hailed the ruling as a "breakthrough" for people afflicted by Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS). The condition is not recognised as a medical disorder in most countries, including France, but sufferers insist that exposure to mobile phones, wifi routers, televisions and other gadgets cause them anything from mild discomfort to life-ruining disability.

Europe | Turkey | Society

Y&R Wins Media Grand Prix for App That Lets Women Call for Help by Shaking Their Phones

Source: Adweek

Another female-empowerment campaign has triumphed at Cannes, with the Media Grand Prix going to a fascinating Vodafone app from Y&R Istanbul that lets women in Turkey call for help simply by shaking their phones. Instructions of how to find the app were embedded in videos specifically targeting women—a gender-specific approach designed so that men never get the message. More than 250,000 women have downloaded the app, Y&R says, or about 24 percent of all women in Turkey who use smartphones. It has been activated over 103,000 times.

Europe | Sweden | Culture

Robyn To Launch Festival For Women In Technology

Source: Huffington Post U.K.

Robyn, one of Sweden's most successful exports and all-round technology junkie is launching a festival specifically to encourage more women to work in technology. Tekla will be a one-day festival in Stockholm where 11-18 year old girls can go along, attend workshops, talks and get careers advice. The festival is being launched in collaboration with the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. The plan is to encourage more women to enter the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) as just 34 per cent of KTH's new students are female.

Europe | Spain | Business

14-year-old girl designed, developed, and released her own mobile game

Source: Venture Beat

Crazy Block is a new free Android game available right now on Google Play. It’s also the creation of 14-year-old Spanish girl Lucia Sanchez, who taught herself how to develop a game and released it earlier this month all on her own. She is the latest example of how open tools and platforms are enabling anyone with the will to make game and find an audiences. Sanchez is from Alicante, a town in Southeast Spain. She’s a student, and — in addition to developing games — she’s into windsurfing, painting, and reading. Sanchez is also a web designer.

Europe | U.K. | Society

Genius Girls Prove That No, Science Isn’t Just For Boys

Source: Huffington Post U.K.

Microsoft is on a mission, and that mission is to drastically change the way girls see science. According to the technology giant 7 out of 10 girls are interested in science, yet only 2 out of 10 then go on to pursue science or technology as a career. Showing that International Women's Day is so much more than just 12 hours, Microsoft has made an ad that showcases some truly brilliant girls, highlighting their creations while asking why they still feel they're battling uphill.