Women in IT Ulrike Weitz

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Women in IT Ulrike Weitz
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Background

• Tech-Ed two years ago
• Invited all the technical ladies to lunch
• Great support from all the ladies
• But what next?
• Women in IT was launched on 1 Sep 2005

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The Microsoft Women's Forum (internal)

• Key Projects
• Development for Women
• Identified a need for Assertiveness, Negotiation
  and Conflict Mgmt Skills
• Bring a Girl Child to Work
• Support Cell C Initiative
• In addition, Take Work to Girl Child Initiative
• Mentorship of girls in previously disadvantaged
  communities
• Fund Raising for tertiary education - bursaries
• Internal Networking
• Opportunity for women to network on a different
  level. Created interest groups e.g. Community
  work, Décor, Gardening etc
• Parenting Forum
• All Microsoft employees are invited to this forum

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Creating an Industry ForumWomen in IT

• Women can share with like minded people other
  women
• Learn and leverage best practices from each other
• Building a network
• Mentor/Coach role
• Bursary program
• Training opportunities
• Creating Change
• We each have a responsibility as senior women in
  this industry to drive the diversity agenda.

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Launch of the initiative

• Launched the initiative on 1 Sep 05 with 100
  ladies attending
• Launched www.womeninit.co.za website
• Got the necessary sponsors onboard, MS, SAP, FS,
  Futurex, Bytes Technologies, Words Worth
• Did BMI-T research in Oct/Nov with some great
  results want to conduct some more research
  during this year
• Database currently on 460 people and we are
  aiming to get 1000 women to join by the end of
  this year
• Ezine in Nov with lots of interesting news etc
• 2 Bursaries awarded to two final year students
  studying in IT
• Mentoring matching
• Training sessions planned around emotional
  intelligence
• 2nd networking opportunity on 22 Feb 2006

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