Yesterday, March 15, we held a talk event to celebrate Victoria A. Espinel’s visit to Japan!

About 20 women from a variety of backgrounds joined us for an event where we discussed the future of women's careers with Victoria, one of the leading women in the U.S. IT sector.

Ms. Victoria spoke about women’s career development from the perspective of “IT and Women,” focusing on “Girls Who Code” (http://girlswhocode.com), an initiative she leads that supports young women pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

During the Q&A session with participants, we received many comments and questions from students, wives, working women, and parents watching over their children. “Is it too late to start learning to code now?”
“What should I keep in mind to balance work and family life?” “What kind of support is available for working women in the U.S.?”
“How can we make it more appealing for girls to aspire to become programmers?”
—she responded thoughtfully and carefully to each of these questions, which were particularly relevant to women.
She explained to the students how programming relates to the fields they are currently studying, and she spoke about the challenges of balancing work and family life, drawing on her own experience as a mother of two.Precisely because it’s difficult to do
everything perfectly, they advised not to feel discouraged about not being able to work while at home, and to enjoy work without worrying that it means less time with family. I’m sure both the men and women in the audience were encouraged by these comments. It made me realize once again that for
women to thrive, children and the adults around them must provide support.

Even after the meeting ended, people kept coming up to ask questions one-on-one, and the participants continued to exchange opinions with one another, seeming as if they could have kept talking forever.

Going forward, we plan to organize a variety of workshops through CANVAS that will make it easier for women to participate.

★Victoria A. Espinel
served as the first Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator at the White House, advising President Obama.
Currently, as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BSA | The Software Alliance, she is a respected authority in the fields of technological innovation, global markets, and public policy.
Through BSA’s 10 offices around the world, she leads strategic initiatives that shape the technology landscape in 60 countries.
She is also actively involved in the education sector, including supporting the “Girls Who Code” initiative.