As the research progresses, all data collected during the first phase are now being processed by the South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (XAMK) for the preparation of the Transnational Research Report and Handbook of Best Practices (more details on the methodology can be found here: Improving Gender Balance what Works). This research phase focuses on three target groups adolescent girls aged 5–16, women in higher education and vocational training aged 17–29, and ICT professionals. By looking at age specific motivations and barriers, the analysis aims to better understand the challenges women face in ICT and to inform more targeted and effective solutions in the upcoming project phases.
The findings presented here relate specifically to the ICT professionals target group and draw on insights from policy makers, industry experts, and programme leaders active in the Belgian ICT ecosystem.Across the initiatives analysed, three key success factors emerge:
- Importance of strong institutional backing and policy alignment. Government-led or government-supported initiatives such as Be Digital Together and Women in Digital benefit from higher visibility, legitimacy, and continuity. Alignment with EU frameworks, including the EU Women in Digital Index and broader EU gender equality strategies, reinforces coherence and accountability, particularly when accompanied by structured monitoring and reporting mechanisms.
- Combination of skills development with mentoring, networking, and role modelling. Initiatives like WomenTech Network, Womenpreneur Initiative, and Women TECH EU emphasise access to mentors, female role models, leadership training, and peer networks. Expert interviews confirm that visible and relatable role models, combined with strong professional networks, are among the most effective levers for change, especially when they are paired with real employment or business opportunities rather than symbolic recognition alone.
- Value of ecosystem-based approaches. Programmes that connect training, entrepreneurship, funding, business development, and policy frameworks tend to be more impactful than isolated actions. Women TECH EU and Womenpreneur Initiative demonstrate how financial support, acceleration programmes, and ecosystem integration can strengthen women’s participation in ICT entrepreneurship, even though access remains competitive and selective.
Recommendations and practical guidance
Experts underline that strong policy frameworks must be matched by enforceable implementation mechanisms. In Belgium, this means improving coordination across federal, regional, and EU levels and ensuring that reports and indicators translate into sustained action on the ground.
At organisational level, cultural and structural change remains essential. Gender balanced recruitment, transparent career pathways, inclusive leadership, and work life balance measures such as flexible working arrangements and parental leave are identified as key levers to support women’s long term participation in ICT.
Mentorship, networking, and role modelling should be embedded as core elements of programmes rather than treated as optional add ons. Ensuring accessibility for women from diverse socio economic and cultural backgrounds is crucial, particularly by avoiding fee based exclusion and overly competitive formats that risk reinforcing existing inequalities.
Experts also stress the importance of reframing ICT careers beyond purely technical roles. Highlighting social impact, job security, working conditions, and career sustainability can help present ICT as a meaningful and collaborative field, supporting both attraction and retention.
Finally, sustained public investment is seen as critical to ensuring continuity and reducing overreliance on private funding. While data collection remains important, it should be complemented by experience based and emotionally engaging interventions that reflect lived realities.
Overall, the Belgian experience shows that lasting progress in gender equality in ICT depends on coordinated policy action, organisational transformation, and long term investment that moves beyond isolated initiatives towards systemic and culturally embedded change.
