Right now, from Iran to Texas, governments and lawmakers are curtailing, suppressing, and outright nullifying the rights and lives of women—which means it’s more important than ever for women to gather, connect, and build community.
To mark International Women's Day today—a global holiday that brings attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women—Paula Bratcher Ratliff, owner and CEO of Women Impact Tech, shared with BizBash why women, especially those in the tech sector who are facing potential layoffs, need the support, mentorship, and camaraderie that comes with female-focused conferences.
Paula Bratcher Ratliff at last year's conference in New York.Photo: Courtesy of Women Impact Tech
The layoffs across tech have continued over the past six months, and Women Impact Tech has been studying the impacts of these layoffs, specifically for women. We surveyed over 1,500 technologists laid off, and the bright spot is that 74% of them have found jobs. However, 78% of men have landed jobs versus 63% of women. Another way to look at the data is that 17% of men are still looking for roles after being laid off, while 32% of women are still looking. That’s two times as many women still trying to land a job. That number is the same even accounting for years of experience, title, education, and location—the only major difference is gender.
We believe that a significant contributor in the lag for women is their network. Because women only make up a fourth of the total tech workforce, their networks are smaller. Women Impact Tech provides an opportunity for female technologists to network with other women in tech and build a stronger community of like-minded women to support them on their career journey. Additionally, our events are sponsored by companies that have prioritized gender equity in tech and are looking to provide women an opportunity to join their culture, where they are not only focused on helping women survive in their tech careers but also creating cultures for women in technology to thrive.
Women Impact Tech will host seven regional conferences this year in San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, Denver, Boston, Atlanta, and New York. Why did you choose to host the events in these cities?
We evaluated the number of companies in specific cities that are hiring tech talent as well as the number of female technologists in those cities. We typically look at tech hub-type cities, but over the past two years we have added cities where we know talent has moved during the pandemic. In 2022, we added Chicago, which ended up being one of our most successful cities last year. We added Atlanta this year and plan to add Austin. We know that these cities have been attracting great tech talent at reasonable rates, where individuals are looking for a reduced cost of living but still have access to exceptional companies hiring technologists.
Your upcoming San Francisco conference, which usually attracts around 1,000 attendees, will take place March 21-22. What can attendees expect in terms of programming? Is there anything new or different as compared to previous events?
Typically, we focus our content in three key areas for our female tech community: career advice, leadership support, and technical skills or emerging tech. The content is delivered through keynotes, information sessions, panels, and occasionally a fireside chat. This year, we have built an industry component into our shows. In San Francisco, our breakout stage will feature industry expertise in digital entertainment with a continued focus toward career, leadership, and emerging technology impacts to the industry.
How has the conference strategy evolved over the years?
We have remained focused on our key strengths and differentiator of attracting female technologists with 5-7 years experience in their area of focus. Where we have diversified is to ensure we offer focused content depth, as well as industry interest that we know is prevalent in each of our cities where we are hosting conferences.
More Top Conferences That Women Should Attend
Read on for info on more conferences devoted to the advancement of women in the workforce...
Conferences for Women
The largest network of women's conferences in the U.S., this organization holds annual events in California, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. The nonpartisan, nonprofit conference offers opportunities for attendees to network and participate in workshops on professional and personal development. They can also receive a resume review as well as career coaching.
The Conference Board’s Women Lead Festival
This three-day festival, which is taking place October 5-6 in Brooklyn, N.Y., is focused on celebrating female leaders across industries, including nonprofits, arts, science, and business. It features workshops, networking activities, book and movie club sessions, as well as receptions with speakers. Attendees collaborate on initiatives that improve the workplace and the world for women and confront today’s challenges facing working women.
Forbes Power Women's Summit
The annual Forbes Power Women’s Summit showcases visionary leaders and innovators with panels, one-on-one interviews, and interactive experiences centered around a specific theme. This year’s event is set to take place in September in New York.
TEDWomen
The annual women in leadership conference is designed to inspire women to be changemakers in their organizations and communities. The three-day program includes six sessions of TED Talks, group dinners and parties, workshops, and activities. This year’s event, with the theme “Two Steps Forward,” will take place October 11-13 in Atlanta.
Create & Cultivate’s LA Conference
Taking place in June this year, this Create & Cultivate event introduces attendees to founders, new brands, and fellow entrepreneurs. Hundreds of entrepreneurs gather to experience keynote conversations and panels, along with hands-on workshops and mentorship sessions.
