Insight
Empowering women and allies in tech is the pathway to a brighter future
Technology has long been hailed for its innovation. Yet, despite its forward-thinking nature, the industry, like many others, has struggled with inclusivity and representation.
Women and underrepresented groups continue to face significant barriers to entry and advancement. Fortunately, the voices and actions of trailblazing leaders, supportive allies, and vibrant communities are paving the way for a more equitable future.
An event that celebrates the work of such individuals is the #empowHERaccess Prestige Awards hosted by the Women In Cloud organisation.
This industry awards platform is not just a matter of recognition; it’s a crucial step in driving systemic change and ensuring a more inclusive tech ecosystem. Exemplifying the time-honoured adage, “If you can see it you can be it.”
We spoke with five of this year’s #empowHERaccess Prestige Award winners, Simone Bennett, principal consultant and elements core (Azure Landing Zones) product owner at Arkahna, Martin Bernier, chief information officer at the University of Ottawa, Julia Armstrong D’Agnese, CEO of Earth Knowledge, Priyanka Mitra, partner at M12, and Akua Opong, senior associate at LSEG, to share their insights on the key areas that are the foundation for a more equitable and inclusive future.
The right mindset to overcome challenges
It all starts from within and tech is no exception. Winner of the Corporate Equality Advocate Awards, Priyanka Mitra, partner at M12 and founding partner of GitHub Fund, offers a compelling perspective on overcoming challenges.
Mitra emphasises the importance of mindset. “I’ve believed that life is always happening for me and that every adversity contains the seed of an equivalent advantage.”
This mindset that every challenge is an opportunity for growth has been instrumental in Mitra’s success, she shared that it has allowed her to “find the good and the learning in the situation or circumstance and choose to leverage difficult, uncomfortable, or trying situations to my advantage”.
Julia Armstrong D’Agnese, CEO of Earth Knowledge and winner of the B2B Women Tech Entrepreneur of the Year Award, echoes the importance of self-belief and adds how instrumental a support system is.
Her advice for aspiring women entrepreneurs includes surrounding oneself with supportive people and maintaining a strong sense of personal vision.
“Be aware and potentially eliminate contact with people, if necessary, who bring you down. They may not have had support nor followed their own light and may undermine yours just as theirs was undermined. Giving birth to a company, new paradigm, new technology is a very vulnerable process, and having others close who could hurt it, will undermine you.”
Being part of a community
Diverse communities are the grassroots support for diverse voices and viewpoints in tech. Finding and engaging with a community provides numerous personal benefits while creating a chain reaction of access to new opportunities.
To Akua Opong, senior associate at LSEG and winner of the Community Leadership and Community Choice Awards, community is so important. She firmly believes the power of collective effort can drive significant change. Her work with organisations like WeAreTheCity and Global Tech Advocates highlights how crucial it is to support and uplift each other.
Opong stated that by “lifting each other as we climb,” we can collectively advance our goals while creating a more supportive environment.
Julia Armstrong D’Agnese echoes this, she believes that participating in networks or communities like Women in Cloud is a crucial pathway for advancing inclusivity.
Both Opong and Julia’s experiences highlight that engaging with and supporting diverse communities not only addresses existing disparities but also drives meaningful progress and innovation in the tech industry.
Supporting underrepresented voices in tech
Supporting underrepresented voices in tech is essential for cultivating a more diverse and innovative industry.
Akua Opong shared from her experience that learning to “communicate effectively and developing negotiating skills to articulate ideas and visions” helped her overcome biases. She stresses the need to build a support network of mentors, sponsors, colleagues, friends, or coaches to provide vital support and insights.
Similarly, Priyanka Mitra underscores the impact of having strong advocates, noting that having mentors, sponsors, and supporters who are “willing and excited to go to bat for you and highlight your accomplishments” is crucial for addressing gender discrepancies in male-dominated fields.
As winner of the Ally of the Year Award, Martin Bernier’s experience further enriches this perspective by emphasising the importance of visibility and trust-building in supporting underrepresented voices.
He shared that being a visible ally is crucial. When asked about his approach to Allyship Bernier shared that it includes “empathy, active listening, and co-mentorship,” stressing that these are the fundamentals for creating a supportive environment.
Bernier believes that by engaging with underrepresented groups allies can better understand their needs and challenges. He noted that regularly seeking feedback builds a trustworthy environment where diverse perspectives can thrive. This holistic approach of visibility, support, and empathy helps foster a tech ecosystem where all voices can contribute to meaningful progress and innovation.
Innovate new approaches for inclusivity
The cornerstone of tech is its dedication to innovation, and the same approach should be applied to inclusivity. A great way for the tech industry to innovate new paths for inclusivity is by actively engaging with diverse community insights and feedback.
Simone Bennett, principal consultant and elements core (Azure Landing Zones) product owner at Arkahna and winner of the Cloud Technologist Visionary Award, exemplifies this approach through her commitment to staying connected with various tech communities.
She states: “I regularly attend user groups, Microsoft or local tech community calls, and meetups to hear what others are doing and share ideas.”
By immersing herself in these forums and incorporating direct feedback from customers and internal teams, Bennett and her company, Arkahna, continuously refine their solutions. This practice ensures that innovations are responsive to the diverse needs of users.
Additionally, Bennett emphasises the importance of “hands-on delivery” and “real-time” feedback, highlighting how interactive engagement can lead to more inclusive and effective technology solutions.
Furthermore, the tech industry can foster inclusivity by blending technological advancements with human support. Bennett’s observation that companies are beginning to realise “the real power lies in combining tech with skilled people” illustrates this shift.
Instead of relying solely on automation, companies are acknowledging the need for human oversight and expertise. Bennett points out that “lifting and shifting servers to the cloud didn’t eliminate the need for someone to manage them” but rather, it highlighted the importance of integrating technology with human skills.
Innovations like Arkahna’s Elements Core product, which simplifies deployment while aligning with best practices, demonstrate how technology can be designed to support diverse skill sets. This approach optimises performance and ensures that technological advancements are inclusive and adaptable to varied user needs.
Diverse and inclusive role models
Seeing role models with diverse identities achieve success or take on influential positions can profoundly impact the tech community.
Women In Cloud believes in the power of role models so deeply that the organisation recently produced its first documentary short film called ICONS. Recently screening at the Oscar-Qualifying HollyShorts Festival, the film shares the impactful journeys of 19 diverse women in tech.
The winners of this year’s #empowHERaccess Prestige Awards exemplify what it means to be an “ICON”. Priyanka Mitra stated that seeing people who looked similar to her ascend to roles of influence in tech and finance has been “instrumental to my progression and success”.
She believes visibility empowers others to ask themselves, “why not me?” and to pursue their aspirations. Winning the Corporate Equality Advocate Award, she hopes, will convey that “there are people out there like myself who care deeply about issues of corporate equality” and that it will inspire others to reach new heights.
Julia Armstrong D’Agnese echoes Mitra’s sentiments describing her experience with #empowHERaccess Prestige Awards as part of an “amazing transformational movement” that recognises traditionally overlooked figures, including women and those from diverse backgrounds.
She emphasises that the recognition she and others receive helps to strengthen and expand this movement, offering women a seat at the table and a platform to share their stories.
Akua Opong shared how role models have positively impacted her life, stating that figures like Katherine Johnson and Maya Angelou have shaped her aspirations and demonstrated the significance of representation and fairness.
Opong views the recognition from the Community Leadership and Community Choice Awards as an opportunity to “convey a powerful message to women and allies that perseverance and advocacy can lead to positive change.”
Similarly, Martin Bernier speaks to the importance of diverse role models, asserting that “success is achievable regardless of background”.
Celebrating change and looking forward
The collective efforts of leaders like Mitra, Armstrong D’Agnese, Bernier, Opong, and Bennett demonstrate the powerful impact of celebrating and supporting women and allies in tech. Their work advances the conversation around equity and provides tangible examples of how to drive change.
The path to a brighter future in tech is paved with the collective efforts of women, allies and supportive communities. By uplifting voices and embracing the strategies and mindsets of diverse trailblazers we can foster an inclusive environment that will move us closer to an industry where everyone has the access to the opportunities needed to succeed.
These leaders and their contributions are not just a recognition of past achievements but a beacon guiding us toward a more equitable and innovative future.
The #empowHERaccess Prestige Awards will return for its fifth year in the summer of 2025. Women In Cloud encourages women and allies in tech to nominate themselves or deserving colleagues to help uplift diverse role models for the future.
You can learn more about the awards, the ICONS documentary, and join the community of over 100,000 women and allies at www.womenincloud.com.
Women face a hidden burden navigating healthcare, with many repeatedly retelling their medical history, a national study suggests.
The findings indicate that Canadian women are taking on cognitive, emotional and administrative work alongside managing their health, including coordinating providers and advocating for care.
More than half of women surveyed, 53 per cent, reported a past or current chronic condition, while 64 per cent said there were health topics they struggled to raise with their doctor.
Sarah Hoffman, president and CEO of Pacific Blue Cross, said: “These findings challenge us to think differently about women’s healthcare and highlight the hidden work required to navigate the system.
“For many women, managing their health has also come to mean managing the healthcare system itself.
“They are acting as project managers of their own care, shouldering the invisible labour of coordinating between providers, retelling their medical history and advocating to be heard.
“The gap between men and women is meaningful and raises important questions about why younger women report lower levels of confidence and support.
“It also challenges us to consider whether we are actually making progress in women’s care, and whether the next generation is being equipped with the confidence and voice to advocate for their health.”
Overall, 71 per cent of Canadians described their doctors as supportive and 88 per cent expected their appointments to go well.
Among women living with chronic conditions, 71 per cent reported having to repeat their complete health history multiple times a year.
Younger women were particularly likely to report difficulties discussing their health. The study found 81 per cent of Gen Z women aged 18 to 30 and 73 per cent of Millennial women aged 31 to 45 had health topics they struggled to raise with their doctor.
Among Gen Z women with chronic illness, 92 per cent reported having to repeat their complete health history.
The study also found differences between young women and men. While 95 per cent of Gen Z men expected a doctor’s appointment to go well, the figure was 82 per cent among Gen Z women.
Similarly, 82 per cent of Gen Z men said they felt supported by their family doctor, compared with 66 per cent of Gen Z women.
Reasons for holding back health concerns varied between generations.
Among Gen Z women, 30 per cent cited fear of dismissal and 29 per cent fear of judgement.
Embarrassment was the most common barrier among Millennial, Gen X and Boomer women, reported by 29 per cent, 27 per cent and 35 per cent respectively.
Women who felt they needed to prove themselves to be taken seriously said they adapted how they approached appointments.
Strategies included researching medical information, repeatedly describing or justifying symptoms, bringing written notes or documentation, tracking symptom timelines, making repeat visits and emphasising how symptoms affected their daily lives.
The study also found an association between feeling supported by a doctor and expecting appointments to go well.
Canadians who described their physician as supportive were nearly four times more likely to expect appointments to go well than those who felt unsupported, at 98 per cent compared with 25 per cent.
Overall, 66 per cent of Canadians said they described their symptoms accurately. This fell to 48 per cent among those who said they felt unsupported by their doctor.
The 2026 Blue Cross Women’s Health Study surveyed 2,045 adult Canadians online in March 2026 through independent research company Research + Knowledge = Insights.
The survey had a reported margin of error of plus or minus 2 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
A French court has linked cosmic radiation to a former flight attendant’s breast cancer for the first time.
Sophie Lainault, 59, had sought to have her cancer recognised as an occupational disease linked to her working conditions.
The court in Bayonne ruled that cosmic radiation was one of three carcinogenic, or cancer-causing, hazards arising from her profession, alongside passive smoking and prolonged night work.
Smoking was authorised on Air France flights until 2000.
The ruling means Lainault, who is in remission, can take early retirement and have any further treatment fully reimbursed by the French health system.
Lawyers said the decision has also cleared the way for similar claims by recognising breast cancer as an occupational risk for flight crews.
Lainault said: “My dearest wish is that the decision encourages other women who up until now have not had the courage to take this step.”
Lainault worked as a stewardess and later a purser on Air France aircraft, recording 12,600 flight hours between 1989 and 2019. More than half of those hours were at night.
Many of her long-distance, high-altitude flights from Paris would have taken her near the North Pole, where exposure to cosmic radiation is most intense.
Cosmic radiation consists of particles originating from the sun and other stars.
A study this month at Harvard Medical School in the US involving more than 500 professions found that flight attendants and pilots had the highest proportions of radiation-related cancer deaths.
About 6.9 per cent of deaths among flight attendants and 6.7 per cent among pilots were from radiation-related cancers, according to the analysis.
The proportions were higher than in other professions, including nuclear technologists, who are routinely exposed to radiation from non-cosmic sources and ranked 12th in the analysis.
It has long been known that high-altitude air travel exposes people to cosmic radiation, although the dose received by most travellers is regarded as statistically insignificant. Exposure is higher at the poles because elsewhere the Earth’s magnetic field acts as a shield.
Lainault’s lawyer Elisabeth Leroux said: “In France the link between breast cancer and certain hazards has been established for a number of professions, such as nurses … but this is the first time for an air-hostess.”
Air France said it had not been involved in Lainault’s legal case and had not seen the reasoning behind the court’s decision.
“The health and security of our staff is an absolute imperative,” the airline said. “Every employee has a medical accompaniment that goes well beyond the regulatory minimum.”
A study is examining where delays occur in diagnosing endometriosis – a condition that can take seven to twelve years to diagnose.
Endometriosis affects an estimated 1.5 million women and people in the UK, but there is currently no consistent way of measuring where and why diagnostic delays happen.
The research aims to develop the first standardised framework for understanding the diagnostic journey and identifying points where interventions could improve care.
The international project involves researchers from the University of Sheffield, University of Liverpool, University of Oxford, Aarhus University in Denmark and the University of Edinburgh, alongside Endometriosis UK.
Dr Rebecca Mawson, NIHR clinical lecturer in primary care at the University of Sheffield, is part of the research team.
She said: “Our project asks: where exactly are people getting lost or let down on their journey to diagnosis, and how can we map those points in a systematic way to identify where interventions could make a real difference.”
The project is led by Dr Babu Karavadra, NIHR academic clinical fellow in general practice at the University of Liverpool, who has been awarded a World Endometriosis Society Early Career Investigator Award as lead principal investigator at the University of Liverpool.
Researchers will review existing evidence, gather experiences from people living with endometriosis and bring together an international panel to map the diagnostic pathway and agree common definitions for key points along the journey.
The work will focus particularly on people whose experiences are often missing from research, including Black women, people living in rural or deprived areas, LGBTQ+ communities and disabled people.
Primary care will also be central to the research because it is often where people first seek help with symptoms.
Mawson said: “Primary care needs to be at the heart of this work. Primary care is often where people first seek help with their symptoms, so it has a crucial role in understanding diagnostic delay.
“If we only look at what happens once someone reaches specialist gynaecology, we risk missing some of the barriers that shape the journey long before that point.”
Unlike cancer research, where internationally recognised standards exist for studying diagnostic delays, endometriosis research has been more fragmented, with studies measuring different parts of the diagnostic journey in different ways.
The researchers hope to create an ‘Endometriosis Diagnostic Pathway Framework’ to help identify where people are falling through the gaps and where healthcare could be improved.
They will also develop a ‘Snakes and Ladders’ style visual representation showing how systemic barriers, chance and individual experiences can influence whether someone reaches a diagnosis.
The project forms part of the PEARL network, Primary care Endometriosis and Adenomyosis Research and Learning, an international collaboration of primary care and community researchers and clinicians.
Mawson said: “Endometriosis diagnostic delay isn’t inevitable. If we can understand where and why people are experiencing barriers, we have a much better chance of designing interventions that actually make a difference.
“The scale of the problem demands that we look at the whole journey, listen to the people experiencing it and build an evidence base that can lead to real change.”
The framework could provide the foundations for future research, clinical guideline development, healthcare professional training and NHS service improvements, with potential applications to related conditions such as adenomyosis and chronic pelvic pain.
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