Women Go Tech study, supported by Google.org and OSCE, reveals that 61% of women in CEE want to delve into AI - the NGO aims to train 20,000 of them

The latest study conducted in Lithuania and twelve other Central and Eastern European countries revealed that as many as 61% of women want to deepen their knowledge of how to proactively use artificial intelligence (AI). Despite a strong women’s interest in the field, lack of training and learning resources at work remain one of the main obstacles preventing women from fully using the advantages of AI in their careers and professional development. To tackle this challenge, Google.org is providing a grant of $500 000 to Women Go Tech to upskill at least 20 000 women in Central and Eastern Europe in AI over the upcoming two years.

The Women Go Tech study supported by Google.org and OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) has shown that 68% of women surveyed have tried AI tools at least once. Nevertheless, only 8% of them received AI training from their employers. With the help from Google.org, the new Women Go Tech initiatives in the region will help create educational programs for women on AI. At the same time, it is a strategic step to strengthen the professional potential of women and reduce the gender gap in the constantly growing ICT sector in the region.

Aušrinė Armonaitė, Minister of Economy and Innovation of Lithuania, welcomesfurther supported development of "Women Go Tech" and emphasizes the need to remove obstacles for talents to use new technologies.

"Lithuania is a country of creative and talented people. They are interested in new products, are not afraid of innovation and increasingly create technology-based businesses. It is the warrantor of Lithuania's competitiveness, which inspires me every day when presenting our country around the world. Only innovative products with high added value and a constant effort to reduce the gender gap in this sector will guarantee Lithuania's economic development", says Aušrinė Armonaitė, Minister of Economy and Innovation,” says A.Armonaitė. 

Jarūnė Preikšaitė, director of Women Go Tech, is optimistic about such ambitious goals of the organization: "For seven years now, Women Go Tech has been successfully helping more than 29 000 women retrain in the IT sector and is a leader in its field. The new programs will aim to train 20,000 women to use the tools of this game-changing AI technology and increase their competitiveness in the job market. We are confident that these programs will be very useful both at work and in life, and will encourage women to discover themselves in the technology sector."

Vytautas Kubilius, Google's country manager at Baltics, says that learning new digital skills is key to unlocking the potential of artificial intelligence. "Artificial intelligence will transform our economy and could increase the size of EU's economy by an impressive 1.2 trillion euros. To help countries and their citizens fully realize this potential, Google.org is heavily investing in skills development and reskilling of underserved communities. That's why we're proud to continue our support for the Women Go Tech organization in promoting the digital integration of women both in Lithuania and throughout Central and Eastern Europe."

Women Go Tech will launch new programs later this year. Be the first to know about them: https://www.womengotech.com/ai-program-waitlist/ 

The qualitative survey, initiated by Women Go Tech and supported by OSCE and Google.org surveyed over 5400 women and ICT experts. The study was conducted in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Austria, Croatia, Romania, Greece and Bulgaria by the "Synthesis Consulting Group".