One of our core guiding values at Answer Digital is The Answer is People.

This year, that core value feels especially important to us as we’re all drifting back to our fantastic office at Union Mills and re-establishing what it means to be part of this great community after the last few years of home-working and Pandemic-related uncertainty.

Over the last five years we’ve grown hugely, and we’re really proud of the fact that the number of women working here at Answer has increased from 4 to 31 over that time. We know we’ve a long way still to go but today on International Women’s Day we’d like to celebrate the amazing women who work at Answer and hear directly from them about why they love working at Answer Digital.

We’re also excitedly gearing up for our first Women-in-Tech community event - The Answer is Women on 23rd March and throughout this month we're reflecting on what being a woman in tech means to our people, as well as thinking about some of the amazing women who’ve inspired us, both in our professional and personal lives.

We started by asking what being a woman in tech working at Answer means:

• “I love being able to represent women in tech not just within Answer but also in the wider community, getting involved with great projects and showcasing the amazing work that is done by the women who work at Answer. It’s so important to feel supported in a community: by the women that work here but also the men too! For men to acknowledge how they can support women, is REALLY positive to see!” - India

• “As I’ve always enjoyed surrounding myself with innovative and passionate people, Answer presented me the opportunity to really grab this with two hands. I’ve held talks at Leeds Digital Festival and also been a panellist on a Leeds WITBoss Event. Here is where I started to thrive - the world of Women in Tech! Meeting other like minded women in the industry is great to just have a chance to bounce some ideas, share opinions and even just develop your confidence meeting new people.” - Luisa

• “It means SO much! Answer Digital is an employer like no other. I have genuinely never worked at a company that's so diverse, inclusive and value-driven. I think employee ownership plays a huge part in that, as the company is invested in us, so we are invested in them. As a woman in tech at Answer, I have experienced support in so many different ways. A recent example is founding "The Answer Is Women" with fellow women in tech to create this much-needed community. And, most personally, on embarking onto my new journey through pregnancy into motherhood. I have never needed to worry, I have been met with complete positivity, and genuine support that ensures that I am comfortable, empowered and reassured.” - Sally

• “Answer gives me an opportunity to meet my aspirations - in my main role as Delivery Lead but also in shaping Answer's Academies and being a Career Guide.”- Kate

Looking wider than our day to day roles at Answer, we asked why it’s important to celebrate International Women’s Day:

• “For me it's a special day to continue to celebrate the contributions of women across the world, remembering that the day is about gender equality and in order to achieve that we must raise women up. Ultimately it's about giving women a voice, something I feel incredibly passionate about in my role, but not only women - everyone. Enabling and fostering an environment where we truly encourage and want to hear from our people is central to our culture. Although a lot has changed for women, we need to continue to celebrate this day to recognise the steps that have been made but that further action is still needed towards gender parity." - Victoria

• “International Women's Day comes as an important reminder of what we need to champion every day - embracing equity and removing systemic barriers with an end goal of true equality and gender parity.” - Sally

• “It’s about promoting opportunities for women - there are plenty of jobs in tech that women would be well-suited to, but may not consider because they don't consider themselves as technical. This leads to missed opportunities, just because you don't know what the options are! Increasing representation in our field can inspire next generations to pursue careers in technology.” - Tessa

Here at Answer we’re continuing to reflect and grow all the time, and this year we’ve dedicated ourselves to a mission: Give Everyone the Opportunity to be the Best They Can Be - this means really focusing on our communities and championing our amazing people. We’re so excited to be hosting our first The Answer Is Women event here at Union Mills on the 23rd March - it’s already proving hugely popular which only reinforces the need for Women in Tech community events and we’re really looking forward to seeing people there and making this a regular event!

Above all, Happy International Women’s Day!