Theme Day at Jönköping University – Consid’s Anna Edstedt Discusses Gender Equality Challenges

– I would like to commend the entire event – not only was it very well organized, but the audience was also very diverse in terms of age and gender,” says Anna Edstedt, Head of Q by Consid. She continues: Often when I lecture with Q, it’s either at a Q event where 99.9 percent are women or at a conference with the opposite ratio. This highlights how crucial the issue is.

Q by Consid was launched in 2013 as a way for Consid to contribute to a more gender-equal and inclusive IT industry and to change the narrative that it is a male-dominated industry. Gender distribution in the industry was a central part of Anna Edstedt’s lecture at Jönköping University.

– The digital era is reshaping our lives, infrastructure, and economy. In this transformation, the tech industry is a major force that will define our future. Therefore, it’s concerning that just over 27 percent of the industry consists of women, she notes.

Several studies point to a bias in the technology currently on the market. Voice-controlled devices like Alexa and Google Home struggle to recognize women’s, often higher-pitched, voices. Meanwhile, facial recognition unintentionally has more difficulty recognizing women and people with darker skin.

– The reason for this isn’t that it’s harder to create or that these are poor products. It’s because they are tested and developed by a homogeneous group, often composed of white men, explains Anna Edstedt.

Gender inequality in the tech and IT sectors risks unintentionally creating digital exclusion. Q by Consid aims to counteract this trend.

– At Q by Consid, we embrace intersectionality and acknowledge the unique blend of experiences shaped by gender, ethnicity, age, and socioeconomic background. Understanding these aspects is the first step toward real equality.