Bridge the technology divide on August 1 in a discussion about social entrepreneurship.
By Dani Matielo (Community Manager, Ashoka Changemakers)

Life for women and girls in the 21st century can be a challenge. Every day, millions of women worldwide deal with a gender and technology divide that leaves them underrepresented at every level of the pyramid. Change is on the horizon as awareness of this issue grows.

E-learning initiatives are helping to make education more inclusive, particularly for women in low- and middle-income countries; civil society organizations and for-profit businesses are also getting involved by encouraging women to consider careers in tech-focused fields, from engineering to design.

So what’s next for the women of the world? And how can technology help?

For answers to those questions (and more) join Ashoka Changemakers and Intel Corporation this Wednesday, August 1 at 2pm IST (10:30am GMT+2) for a Twitter-based #SocEntChat about technology for women, by women. (Click here to convert to your local time.)

Special guests include Telecentre (@telecentreorg), Women 2.0 (@women2), kiraChix (@AkiraChixs) and Waaw Foundation (@waawfoundation).

What is a #SocEntChat and how does it work?

A #SocEntChat is a real-time, Twitter-based discussion about social entrepreneurship that focuses on specific issues, areas, themes, and events. It is designed for current and aspiring social entrepreneurs, funders, journalists, and supporters to share ideas, discuss the state of the field, identify the latest innovations, and pinpoint areas requiring deeper exploration.

Joining the conversation is easy.

Just log-in to Twitter at 2 p.m. IST on Wednesday, August 1. Then:

• Use the #SocEntChat hashtag to make your comments visible in the stream. Go to TweetChat, login with your Twitter account and follow the #SocEntChat hashtag to keep up with the conversation.
• Introduce yourself and take a minute to get to know the other chatters when you join.
• Send your questions to @changemakers without the hashtag (to keep them out of the stream) so they can be considered for this conversation.
• Please remember to use the #SocEntChat hashtag, stay on topic, be respectful, and have fun!

And be sure to invite your friends and followers to join the discussion, too; the best way is to post a tweet like this one Let’s bridge the gender&technology divide! 1/8 2-3:30pm IST w/ @changemakers @akirachix @waawfoundation @telecentreorg #SocEntChat #girltech

If you are unable to attend the live event, a recap of the chat highlights and a transcript of the conversation will be made available.

Catch you on the Twittermachine, changemakers!

This post was originally posted at Changemakers.

About the guest blogger: Dani Matielo is the Community Manager of Ashoka Changemakers. She is responsible for the Portuguese Language Market and to engage innovators to exchange knowledge about the most pressing social challenges. Dani has been working with strategies for digital inclusion in Brazil since 2001. She is the co-creator of Rede HumanizaSUS, an independent community of practice for health professionals in Brazil. Follow her on Twitter at @ChangemakersPT.