True Diversity feat. MotherBoard

MotherBoard, Powered by ADLIB, is a Business Charter, Community, and Event Series driving tangible change for mums working in the tech industry.

In the UK tech industry, only 27% of the workforce is female, MotherBoard are on a mission to transform the industry to be more inclusive of women & mothers by tackling stigmas and supporting employers who want to create real change.

The purpose of our initiative and series “True Diversity” is to feature, collate and showcase the breadth of initiatives and views that are all on a mission to work towards True Diversity and Inclusion.

Can you share a little bit more about what you do – what’s the purpose and mission of MotherBoard?  

MotherBoard is a business Charter, community and event series that directly addresses the impact of the lack of parental inclusion on the retention and progression of women in the UK Tech Industry.  50% of women leaving tech by age 35, often for care responsibilities.

We take a comprehensive approach to creating change. Our Charter signatories commit to making their businesses inclusive of mums, while we support and build awareness through our signatory toolkits, signatory power hours, signatory consultations, community events, community blogs, and partnering with other brilliant organisations such as Code First Girls, Coding Black Females and Tech Talent Charter.

We also have a consistently growing community that consists of 3000+ mums and allies, all joining the MotherBoard Mission in creating tangible change for working mums in tech.

What do you consider potential consequences of a lack of parental Inclusion and what do you see as the main benefits of a parent-inclusive workforce?  

With only 27% of the tech workforce being women, tech is one of the most gender-imbalanced industries within the UK. It’s a known issue, with many employers wanting to create more gender-diverse teams but ending up fishing from the same limited pool.

Our goal is to help businesses not only create environments that are more supportive of women in the current workforce but also equip them with the tools to shift a much-needed change for future generations

82% of women becoming mothers in their lifetime, if we want a more gender-fair industry then motherhood (and the penalty that currently comes with it) needs to be at the heart of every inclusion strategy.

Without removing the barriers mothers face, we will continue to see more women leaving the industry, which leads to fewer women in senior roles, which in turn leads to fewer women entering the industry due to a lack of visible role models.

We also fight for parents in general. To achieve true gender equity, the idea of a mother being the presumed primary caregiver needs to be broken down and there needs to be greater flexibility for all parents to look after their children – regardless of gender.

How can businesses and potential employers get involved with your initiative/ programme/ organisation? 

If you are a UK tech business, then the best (and easiest) way is to join the MotherBoard Charter. It gives you access to exclusive all-company training and joining a growing community of like-minded organisations unified in creating a more gender-fair tech industry.

We are also always looking for contributors to our community content series ‘Mums in Tech’ and ‘Allyship in Action’, which you can find out more about on our website and apply to be part of here.

ADLIB’s EDI Directory is a resource that supports Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) efforts by signposting initiatives and businesses who are experts in promoting inclusivity and building truly inclusive teams.

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