The Tech Talent Charter - partner of Information Age's Women in IT Awards Series - has done something that few diversity initiatives can claim: bring business competitors together to share data and collaborate for one purpose: to end the gender gap prevalent in the technology sector. In a first-of-its-kind report, the TTC has collated data from across large corporates to start-ups, which provides practical insights - or best practice tips - in helping close the gender gap. Gathered from over 200 signatories representing over half a million employees, the data in the report gives a snapshot of today’s tech industry and an insight into practical ways companies can improve it.

In many ways, 2018 was a groundbreaking year. For women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and girls who hope one day to be changing the world through STEM, it's been a showcase of the power of female-led science and innovation. There have also been challenges and powerful lessons, but 2018 for women in STEM was intriguing, barrier-breaking and full of new and exciting discoveries. Women continue to be on the rise in traditionally male-dominated STEM fields. Business Insider's annual list of the most powerful female engineers in the worldincludes, in 2018, head engineers at Google, Adobe, Lockheed Martin, Apple, SpaceX, and General Motors, who are not only breaking barriers as women in STEM, but also as women from diverse racial backgrounds. That's important in STEM, as data collected in March 2018 indicates that Black, Latinx and other women of color are deeply underrepresented in many STEM fields. Increasingly, the world is recognizing and promoting female STEM pioneers, whether through prizes like the L'Oreal UNESCO and Nature Research Awards or via initiatives to inspire the female scientists of the future; the ''She Can STEM'' videos connecting girls with heroes at game studios and NASA were a highlight of the year. Great science, amazing awards and some massive leaps forward: 2018 marked a watershed year for women in STEM worldwide. Here are five of the best moments.

The Association for Women in Science (AWIS), the leading organization advocating for women in STEM, announced Nobel Laureate Carol Greider, PhD, as its 2019 Pinnacle Award recipient and Mareena Robinson Snowden, PhD, Next Generation Award recipient. Dr. Greider and Dr. Robinson Snowden will receive their respective awards at AWIS’ annual premiere event - Innovation and Inclusion Summit and Awards Dinner -on April 24, 2019, at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC.

The Request a Woman Scientist platform connects our extensive multidisciplinary network of vetted women in science with anyone who needs to consult a scientist for a news story, invite a keynote speaker or panelist for a conference or workshop, find a woman scientist to collaborate on a project, or serve as a subject matter expert in any capacity. Importantly, 500 Women Scientists is committed to diversity and inclusion, not just in our scientific fields, but in our society as a whole.

When the 116th Congress heads to Washington in January, there will be a record number of women in the ranks - at least 123, according to the news website Axios, including the first Muslim women, the first Somali-American, and the first Native American women. There will be more scientists too. Nine new science-credentialed candidates were elected: one senator and eight members of the House. The members of the current 115th Congress include one physicist, one microbiologist, and one chemist, as well as eight engineers and one mathematician. The medical professions are slightly better represented, with three nurses and 15 doctors.

Young women represent a large pool of entrepreneurial potential in the Danube Region (DR) as 52% of its population is female and 30% of them are self-employed. However, only 10% of young women in the DR are at early stage of business development and only 2% of them establish a business which lasts more than 42 months. The entrepreneurial potential of young women in the DR is underdeveloped. WOMEN IN BUSINESS comes as a response to certain specific needs of young women entrepreneurs (YWE) in the DR through project transnational activities focused on: comprehensive mapping, evaluation and comparison of needs and barriers which young women face, policy measures in the DR, policy improvement to be aligned to their needs through a developed Policy Agenda, innovative solutions and training models for improvement of the entrepreneurial culture, skills and competencies among them which will be pilot tested and incorporated into 4 Women Entrepreneurship Centers (EWCs). A Transnational strategy for sustainability of the EWCs will guarantee the lasting effect of the project. The consortium of 14 PPs from 9 DR countries brings together national®ional, public and private organizations and universities, whose specific thematic background guarantees a solid knowledge and necessary expertise by coming forward with appropriate innovative solutions. It will upgrade existing cooperation mechanisms between the target groups based on quadruple helix model. Project outputs and results are to benefit the wider community within the DR and will have a strong social impact. All knowledge accumulated in the project will be transferred to other countries from the DR through numerous project events, project dissemination channels and tools and European networks in which project partners participate.

Jocelyn Bell Burnell, a visiting professor of astrophysics at the University of Oxford whose work in the 1960s ushered in a new era of astronomy, has received a $3-million Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, the Breakthrough Foundation announced today.

Researcher Jess Wade says efforts to attract girls into science are not evidence-based and are not working. Jess Wade is a scientist on a mission. She wants every woman who has achieved something impressive in science to get the prominence and recognition they deserve - starting with a Wikipedia entry. She has written about 270 Wikipedia pages in the past year in order to increase their recognition.

The workshop is a one-day event with invited speakers, oral presentations, and posters. The event brings together faculty, graduate students, and research scientists for an opportunity to connect and exchange ideas. There will be a panel discussion and a mentoring session to discuss current research trends and career choices in machine learning. Underrepresented minorities and undergraduates interested in pursuing machine learning research are encouraged to participate. While all presenters will identify primarily as female, all genders are invited to attend.