The successes of Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer at Facebook, could prove inspirational to other women in technology. She has transformed the social networking site, bringing membership from 66 million to more than 640 million, while ensuring that the company remains small at just 2,500 employees. Ms Sandberg has also worked to encourage more women to enter technology jobs. Last December she gave a speech at the TEDWomen in Washington conference and spoke about women advancing in their career, which has been viewed nearly 100,000 times through YouTube, creating a role model for women all over the world.

Life scientists, both male and female, are invited to join this lively discussion of issues facing women in their life science career choice. EMBO is pleased to join with FEBS, the Federation of European Biochemical Societies, to offer this session. Raising awareness of career issues for women scientists is a priority for both organisations. Each year, the FEBS/EMBO Women in Science Award recognises and rewards the exceptional achievements of a female scientist in life sciences research over the previous five years. Winners of the award are role models who inspire future generations of women in science.

More than half (54 per cent) of women do not look up to anyone as a good role model, according to a new survey. Highlighting the gap in the prominence of influential female leaders, a poll by Amway found that just 36.8 per cent of women could name three successful businesswomen. The survey comes as the hunt starts for Britain's Top Real Role Model, which will be judged from nominations put forward online.

A new report has highlighted the extent to which the recent Budget has unfairly impacted women. Conducted by the UK Women's Budget Group and the Fawcett Society, The Impact on Women of the Budget 2011 report found that if current trends in the employment market continue, more women than men will be unemployed, while those in jobs will continue to earn on average less than men.

The trend for women who return to work full-time after having children has risen, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show. Its Labour Force Survey reveals that 29 per cent of mothers were in full-time work in the final quarter of 2010. In 1996, this figure was just 23 per cent. Mothers working part-time is a common trend and has remained at a steady rate over the 15-year period, while the total number of mothers in work in the UK is a similar number to women who have no children.

Female graduates have been found to earn 20 per cent less than their male counterparts, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). For women who have not been to university, this gender pay gap rises to 23 percent. Other gender statistics found by the ONS show that while one in two men graduated in business and finance, sciences or engineering, just one in five women studied these subjects. This is largely the reason for the pay difference, as one in three women work in public sector jobs, earning on average £27,600 compared to the £37,300 average salary of science roles.

The 2011 euRobotics Forum: the conference and the euRobotics Technology Transfer Award will be organized in V�sterås, Sweden, hosted by Robotdalen, from 6-8 April 2011. European robotics experts from industry and academia are warmly invited to get together to present workshops, communicate, exchange information, and network. You will have the opportunity: to get to know the ongoing initiatives in robotics within Europe; to listen to the European Commission´s opinion about European robotics; to voice your opinion to strengthen the industry and academia collaboration in robotics; to learn about new robotic businesses through spin-offs.

Commissioner Neelie Kroes' clear message on the centenary IWD: Every Woman Digital!

Getting more women into ICT and technology is today, especially in the times of global economic crisis, not just a question of social justice, but a question of economic necessity, growth and competitiveness. This ECWT Position Paper aims to initiate a dialogue with all stakeholders (public, private, academia and NGOs) in Europe engaged in collaboration for measurably and significantly increasing the number of girls and women in ICT, innovation and technology, with the goal to join forces for a strategic Gender Action Plan for implementing the Digital Agenda and the Europe 2020 Strategy with a gendered approach. The Position Paper presents a brief state of the art and forms the background for the Joint High-level DG INFSO and Hungarian EU Presidency Conference ''Women in Science, Innovation and Technology in the Digit Age'' organized in the 6-8 March 2011 in Budapest, Hungary.

My Camp is organized in Helsinki since 2010 by Technology Academy Finland in co-operation with the Finnish Science Education Centre LUMA with the goal to find the most talented young people interested in mathematics, science and technology, and help them start up a career in these fields.