From policy to practice: Tackling the digital gender gap in Belgium

Despite growing demand for digital skills, women remain underrepresented in ICT and STEM fields. Belgium has responded with ambitious policy initiatives, which are translated into practice by organisations such as Interface3.

Europe faces a paradox. While demand for digital skills continues to accelerate, women remain significantly underrepresented in sectors driving this growth.

Under the Digital Decade framework, the EU aims to reach 20 million ICT specialists by 2030, reflecting the scale of this demand. Yet despite strong career prospects and high-quality employment opportunities, only one in three STEM graduates and two in 10 ICT specialists are women. Overall, they account for just 17% of ICT jobs in the European Union.

These disparities are not simply a pipeline issue. According to the Gender Equality Index 2025 and research from the European Institute for Gender Equality, women face a combination of visible and invisible barriers, including multiple care responsibilities, rigid training and recruitment processes, lack of role models and internalised self-doubt shaped by societal expectations.

Ghislaine Ihirwe (pictured above), legal advisor at the Belgian FPS Economy, explains: “The difficulty lies in the fact that these barriers are deeply interconnected and mutually reinforcing. Breaking this cycle requires a comprehensive and coordinated approach.”

National ambitions to close the digital gender gap

Although Belgium performs slightly above the European average, only 19.4% of IT specialists in the country are women. Ihirwe notes that women’s participation in the ICT sector in Belgium is progressing, but that it remains insufficient. “We observe a stronger female presence in certain digital-related roles, particularly in support functions, communication or project management,” she says. “However, women remain underrepresented in more technical roles such as software development, cybersecurity or artificial intelligence.”

Belgium has taken steps to address this imbalance. Through signed declarations such as the “Commitment on Women in Digital,” it has acknowledged the importance of increasing female participation at all levels of the digital economy.

It is also one of the few countries with a national “Women in Digital” strategy: a five-year, cross-sector plan bringing together governments, local authorities and the private sector. Built around five strategic objectives, the #BeDigitalTogether initiative aims to challenge persistent stereotypes and tackle structural barriers limiting women’s participation.

“This sends a strong signal and positions Belgium as a proactive actor,” Ihirwe says. “However, to be considered a true frontrunner, it will be essential to translate this ambition into measurable and sustainable long-term results.”

A key part of this effort is ensuring that women can access training pathways where they feel both capable and fully included.

Strengthening the talent pool in Brussels

Across Belgium, nearly nine in 10 men aged 25 to 49 are in employment. Among young women aged 18 to 24 of non-European origin, that figure falls to just two in 10. This gap is most pronounced in parts of Brussels, one of the most international cities in the world.

With gender, age and origin intersecting and compounding one another, meeting higher employment targets will require activating underrepresented talent pools.

It is in this context that organisations such as Interface3 play a critical role, acting as a bridge between policy ambition and employment outcomes. Founded in 1986, this Brussels-based association has spent four decades enabling women job-seekers of all ages and backgrounds to access free vocational training in IT and technical fields where they remain underrepresented.

Today, Interface3 offers numerous year-long programmes ranging from logistics management to cutting-edge data analytics and cybersecurity, each leading to recognised qualifications and, for 70% of learners, good employment outcomes.

What distinguishes Interface3 is its three-pillar model: personalised guidance, technical rigour and close alignment with business needs. Through small groups and face-to-face teaching, trainers help learners align with the latest technological developments and labour market demand, including AI and automation.

The organisation also supports women - many of whom are re-entering the workforce or changing careers - in navigating the realities of a male-dominated sector, with a strong focus on building confidence.

Ibtissam Derfoufi (pictured above), deputy head of the IT department, tutor and recent winner of the Trends-Tendances Inclusive Tech Champion 2026 award, was once a learner at Interface3 herself.

“I understood that technology could be a powerful lever for social mobility… I first entered Interface3 as a learner, then as an employee and tutor. I never left it.”

She emphasises that addressing the gender gap in ICT is not only about access: “That inner voice that says ‘this isn’t for me’ or ‘it’s too late’ is often reinforced by a lack of role models and rigid recruitment processes. But skills can be learned, and confidence can be built.”

Maintaining momentum

Across Europe, initiatives at EU, national and local level are working to expand pathways for women and girls into the digital sector.

“In practical terms, this means making the full diversity of digital careers visible, facilitating career transitions and ensuring inclusive working environments that foster both autonomy and fulfilment,” Ihirwe explains.

Both Ihirwe and Derfoufi agree on the importance of learning ecosystems that give women real options to train and re-enter the workforce with confidence. This depends on nurturing successful initiatives such as Interface3 that effectively connect talent to opportunity, and ensuring stakeholders are aligned around these objectives.

As Jennifer Dejond (pictured, above left), deputy director of Interface3, highlights in a recent video marking the organisation’s 40th anniversary, businesses also have a key role to play - alongside public sector bodies - in supporting such training pathways.

Ultimately, tackling the digital gender gap is not only about inclusion - it is about unlocking under-utilised talent. Connecting women to high-demand technical careers through adapted learning programmes offers a concrete pathway to both greater equality and stronger economic resilience.

Photos: ©Interface3