The Women in AV (WAVE) organization is partnering with Kari Martinez to gather demographic data about the women working within the AV industry. To conduct this analysis, WAVE and Martinez have created the 2020 Women + Girls in AV Survey, which is open to the public until March 13 and can be accessed here.
“We don’t require statistics to know women are underrepresented in the AV Industry,” Jennifer Willard, Founder of Women in AV, said. “However, a lack of meaningful data to baseline where we stand with respect to gender equality prevents us from creating targeted, effective professional development and inclusion programs addressing specific barriers women face pursuing careers in technology. As important, we hope the results of the Women + Girls in AV Study will uncover areas women share in common, as well as what makes us each unique and special.”
Female participation in the AV and technology industries has historically suffered underwhelming numbers. According to ISACA 2017’s Women in Tech Survey, women associate a lack of mentors and role models, gender bias and unequal growth opportunities as obstacles to advancing their careers in technology.
The new 2020 Women + Girls in AV Survey will gather credentials of individual women to develop a benchmark of the AV industry’s overall female representation. The survey asks participants to share their experiences in key diversity and inclusion matters, including whether they feel welcomed, have mentors and how they entered the industry. The survey will also explore geographic, seniority levels and which market sectors women employ within the AV Industry.