Speaking is Carina de Vries, a board member of Dutch Women in Tech, one of the ten communities behind Women @ Data Expo. “About 18 percent of the IT sector in the Netherlands is made up of women,” she says. “We want to make those women visible where it matters, like here at Data Expo. Our ambassador, Justine Wolters, spoke with Constantijn van Oranje on the main stage. Afterward, he visited us here at the joint booth. The prince clearly recognizes the importance of diversity.”
According to De Vries, Women @ Data Expo aligns well with the mission of Dutch Women in Tech: “To connect women in IT and amplify women’s perspectives. Men simply think differently; they’re wired differently. We all stand to benefit from a better reflection of society in IT products.”
Lack of data and understanding
The lack of a female perspective is making itself felt, as became clear during Melissa Ablett-Jordaan’s session. She gave one of nearly thirty presentations over two days at the Women @ Data Expo booth. The American speaker shared a personal story about an unplanned pregnancy loss. This often leads to mental health issues and, consequently, societal costs, but there is little data available on the subject; according to her, medical research is typically only conducted after three pregnancy losses.
In addition to a lack of data, there is also a lack of understanding, as Ablett-Jordaan experienced firsthand: “I’ve noticed that health apps don’t address this issue at all. They drop women when the pregnancy is no longer viable.” All in all, pregnancy loss is ignored, even though tens of millions of women worldwide experience it every year, and there are significant health benefits and cost savings to be realized, according to the entrepreneur.
Seeking to improve the situation, Ablett-Jordaan set out to build Sibyl, an AI-driven platform that supports women after a miscarriage or other pregnancy loss. The app offers personalized guidance, information, and emotional support. As her startup grew, the American entrepreneur—who lives in the Netherlands, participated in an accelerator program run by AI4ALL, one of the communities behind Women @ Data Expo. She has noticed that the lack of data makes it particularly difficult to find investors: “The costs of pregnancy loss are hard to prove.” According to Ablett-Jordaan, there’s no doubt that these costs exist. Sibyl also helps to map them out. “Unfortunately, pregnancy loss is sometimes still viewed as a ‘third-world problem,’ but luckily I have many allies, including men, of course.”
Three Human Layers
The human factor remains of great importance in the age of AI, as Rachel Costa also emphasized in her presentation. The Oracle engineer, affiliated with Data + Women, distinguishes three so-called “human layers.” She referred to Ablett-Jordaan’s story: “First of all, people largely determine what data is available on a given topic. The human factor then plays a role in building solutions around that data; who develops them makes a difference. If you look at AI-related profiles on LinkedIn, only 26 percent are women,” she said, highlighting the male dominance in the tech industry. Baby boomers are also underrepresented in those AI profiles. The third “human layer” that Costa identified, in addition to data collection and product development, concerns the user. Who is that? That, too, determines how inclusive the development process is. At the end of her session, Costa presented a framework for human-centered AI design. Her plea: don’t design AI based solely on technology and data, but put the people who have to work with it, and their needs, at the center.
Different skills
According to Maria Brosi, who works at the international recruitment firm Robert Half, this digital age calls for different skills. “Technical knowledge remains important,” she said during her presentation at the Women @ Data Expo pavilion, “but everyone has access to it these days. AI is everywhere, just think of posts on LinkedIn or emails; it’s become commonplace.” Employers’ needs are shifting, and with them, the skills they seek in employees, according to the organizational psychologist. Assessing risks and opportunities is, according to Brosi, one such new core competency. “It’s up to people to weigh options, provide context, and determine what matters. Moreover, they remain responsible for the end result.” Emotional intelligence, curiosity, and critical thinking point the way, according to the German expert. She summed it up philosophically: “If we understand what’s happening and remain curious about why, then the ‘how’ becomes clear on its own.”
Brosi came into contact with Women @ Data Expo through mutual acquaintances, she explains after her presentation: “There’s a difference between men and women in the data world. This platform is a foundation for connection, a place to share knowledge and feel seen, heard, and supported. A place where we can be vulnerable and learn from one another.”
Recognition
Visitors Nassira Najhi and Esma Aserrar found what they were looking for at the joint booth in Utrecht. “Women @ Data Expo is geared toward women, but there are all kinds of presentations on a wide range of data-related topics,” said Najhi. “It covers the full breadth of the field. I heard a lot of interesting things, including from Melissa Ablett-Jordaan. With my company, Rose Fortis, I’m working on a solution similar to Sibyl’s. I’ve also made many valuable connections here.” Asserar, a friend from Ghent, agrees: “As a web developer, I work in a male-dominated IT world. At Women @ Data Expo, I was able to share many experiences about that. In a way, it’s a shame that such a special space for women is necessary, but the sense of recognition I feel here is nice.”
Offers extra headphones
Women @ Data Expo helps visitors like Najhi and Aserrar feel at home in the digital field, and according to Lotte Govers, an early ambassador for , that’s exactly the goal: “We’re making women visible in the sector, and we’re literally taking up space here. That’s drawing a lot of attention, partly because companies are actively seeking out women.” According to Govers, who is affiliated with the Women’s Coding Club, the realization has set in that diverse teams perform better. “It’s a hot topic among organizations. We’re getting a lot of foot traffic at the pavilion, from both women and men. We’ve already had to bring in extra headphones a few times because so many people want to listen to the talks. This definitely leaves us wanting more.”