[Apple]
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Apple is attempting to encourage more women into a career in technology, by publishing a feature on four women who are attempting to "create change and drive culture" via the App Store.
Tuesday's feature piece, arriving one week after International Women's Day, discusses the backgrounds and work of four prominent female developers. The quartet have worked on a number of well-known titles in the App Store.
The group includes Jes Wolfe, CEO of Rebel Girls and a winner of the 2022 Apple Design Awards, is joined by Dinosaur Polo Club leaders Naimh Fitzgerald and Chantelle Cole, behind hits like Mini Motorways. They are joined in the article by 2022 Entrepreneur Camp for Black Founders participant Dayo Akinrinade, who made the audio-first social discovery app Wisdom.
The profile asks the quartet questions about the challenges women face that are addressed by their respective companies' efforts, as well as how their experiences influenced app creation and running their businesses.
Wolfe said there was a "confidence gap between genders" that starts from the age of 6. "That's when girls start to think they are less smart and less capable than boys," she says, referring to a study that goes on to say that confidence falls in girls by 30 percent between the ages of 8 and 14.
"We want every girl to open the Rebel Girls app — or any of our books — and find dozens of stories of role models that she can see herself in."
According to Fitzgerald, women "face issues such as pay and gender equality, barriers to leadership, and inflexible work hours." The creation of an inclusive and supportive working environment is, to the COO, "fundamental to creating a sustainable and thriving business."
Akinrinade explained the aim of Wisdom is to "replace the inequity of closed networks with an open, diverse community of experts and helpful people." This includes offering a safe space to talk about important topics that matter to them, including women's rights, domestic violence, leadership, and wellness.
On the impact of the apps, Wolfe discloses that 86% of parents told the app their girls' confidence had increased because of Rebel Girls, and that 92% said the stories in the app inspired them.
