Partnership launches to help women in tech roles become charity trustees

A pilot partnership is launching in Scotland to help women in digital and tech sector roles sit on charity boards.

The pilot sees Scotland Women in Technology (SWiT) support opportunities for women through Third Sector Lab’s Digital Trustees training and matching scheme, which launched seven years ago.

Up to 30 women in the Scottish tech sector will be trained in areas such as digital strategy governance, data ethics and artificial intelligence adoption.

Those taking part will be trained in vetting charity boards to ensure they are able to adopt “high level digital strategy”.

Applicants are then matched with charities to ensure their technical skills and missions align. The pilot also sees post placement support offered via a peer network.

The deadline for women in tech and digital roles to apply to be part of the pilot’s cohort is 17 May.

“Boards continue to face an image and access challenge, with just 13% of charity boards achieving gender parity,” warns SWiT vice chair Ketty Lawrence.

“While the value of diverse boards is clear, too many women are still locked out of governance opportunities.”

She added that the pilot aims to open up a “practical pathway for women to step into board roles and shape decision-making”

Third Sector Lab director Ross McCulloch said: “In Scotland, digital transformation frequently stalls at the boardroom door. While technology is driving the modern economy, 41% of charities have no digital representation on their boards but are experiencing major challenges when it comes to cyber security and AI.

“Our partnership with SWiT will further support the sector and help them understand the art of the possible, gaining access to real technical experts, all while modernising the perception of what a board looks like.”

Among women in technology roles to already take part in Third Sector Lab’s Digital Trustees programme is Tessa Quinn, who was matched with the Scottish Seabird Centre.

“Technology is no longer a male domain; some of the brightest, most creative and pragmatic digital leaders I know are women,” she said.

“With the need for a robust and ethical tech approach essential for almost all charities now, and the woeful figures on gender parity” she urges charities to “recruit more women from tech to your boards”.