LUISA MENEGHETTI
Internal Displacement Monitoring Expert
Please explain what your company does?
At the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), we provide high-quality data, analysis and expertise on internal displacement with the aim of informing policy and operational decisions that can reduce the risk of future displacement and improve the lives of internally displaced people (IDP) worldwide.
To demystify the tech angle, what is the role of technology in your business?
Our tools are mostly based on natural language processing and predictive analytics. Since the volume of data in our sector is growing exponentially, we need to constantly update and build tools that allow us to monitor this data worldwide. We adopt transparent methodologies and provide opportunities to present our technology to experts and the general public through workshops, events and trainings. We also try to avoid tech jargon as much as possible!
Since this is a relatively new field, do you find male/female breakdown is roughly equal or is there a majority of one gender?
When I started, I was the only woman in the Data and Analysis department. Today, four years later, our department has a 50-50 gender balance. This is a good improvement which I have observed in other organisations. However, I have also realised that the majority of the management and leadership roles are occupied by men, while the less senior ones are all occupied by women. I don’t think this is due to the lack of expertise but, very often, it is due to the lack of a strong network that can advocate for a woman to get a certain role.
How did you become involved in this area of business, and why?
Technology and innovation applied to the social and humanitarian sector was my interest on the side. I helped establish the first humanitarian hackathon at CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, and ultimately had the right skills to work on data for the humanitarian sector.
What have you found the most challenging aspect, and the most rewarding?
The most challenging aspect for me is to plan for the long-term, because the landscape of technology is an ever evolving one and it is important to stay open and flexible enough to adapt the course of action to whatever becomes more relevant to the job. The most rewarding aspect is to witness the results of our work when supported by the right technology.
How do you stay up to date with the latest developments?
I like to source my ideas from many different disciplines. I deeply enjoy listening to and talking with people working with technology, but in sectors that are completely different from my own, to learn new ways of coping with challenges or simply get inspired. Events like the Women Power Summit are the best place to do it! I believe that innovation is born in diversity and that’s how I like to stay up to date.
Do you do any work towards encouraging other women and young girls into this field?
I regularly provide mentoring to students and I support my female colleagues along the way, because I acknowledge that everything I do today is only possible thanks to the support I received from exceptional women who believed in me from the very beginning.
SABA SALEEM
Founder of The Stories Studio, Bahrain-based indie game development studio
Please explain what your company does?
We are a game development company with a purpose to create games for impact. We do this in two ways: by creating games about real-world causes to bring awareness to these causes, and by giving back a portion of our sales revenue to important causes. Our aim is to raise awareness, empathy and positive action through our video games.
To demystify the tech angle, what is the role of technology in your business?
Well, video games require all kinds of tech to create and to play. We use game engines, sound and music technology and consoles and devices for video games. What is really cool is that a lot of new tech that is developed for the video game industry is then used in other industries such as training, medicine etc.
Since this is a relatively new field, do you find male/female breakdown is roughly equal or is there a majority of one gender?
When it comes to game players, there is really almost an equal percentage of males to females, but in the game creation industry we still need more female contributors. The number of females in the industry is definitely increasing and we are seeing this result in the varied content of video games, especially in the indie game industry.
How did you become involved in this area of business, and why?
To be honest, I became involved with my passion. I have been playing video games since I was a little girl, and have always been moved by the immersiveness of storytelling through video games. I finally decided in 2018 to pursue my passion of creating these experiences for others. Since Bahrain does not really have a game industry, apart from a very active game development community, I decided to create my own studio. Together with other members of the community we are creating a game development industry in the Kingdom.
What have you found the most challenging aspect, and the most rewarding?
The most challenging aspect has definitely been navigating the landscape. The industry is so huge with so many different types of business models available. It is also one of the most competitive creative industries out there. And our main challenge was not in development but in distribution of our games. To overcome this, we are working with global publishers to bring our products to the world and to focus on what we do best, which is the creation aspect of video games.
How do you stay up to date with the latest developments?
We have relationships with multiple mobile game publishers along with whom we stay up to date with the latest mobile gaming trends. We also follow industry experts, websites and channels to keep us updated. Furthermore, there are many game-centric events around the world that we keep up with remotely and hope to attend these events soon too.
Do you do any work towards encouraging other women and young girls into this field?
I think one of the best things that any woman can do is to share her story. I take every opportunity I get to talk about my story, because it is stories that really move us, motivate us, and inspire us. I think sharing my story shows other young girls what is possible if they allow themselves to dream, and believe in themselves.
