Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. It was set up by the United Nations in 1999 to highlight a phenomenon that was in danger of being overwhelmed: gender-based violence.
It is also a day to commemorate the fact that gender equality is still a long way off, despite the enormous progress that has been made.
On the subject of gender equality and women’s empowerment, it is worth looking at the numbers in the cryptocurrency and blockchain sector. It may seem like a purely male sector, but in fact a report by CoinMarketCap shows that the number of women using cryptocurrencies is growing sharply, particularly in Europe (+58.5%) and in some countries such as Greece and Romania.
This growth of women investing in cryptocurrencies accounts for 43% globally and mainly includes the youngest age group, between 18 and 24 years old.
Blockchain projects involving women
Global Women in Blockchain is one of the best-known projects in the industry. It is a non-profit organization that wants to use the strength of women to promote and disseminate blockchain projects. Its aim is to support women in technology and blockchain at the same time.
Leading this association is Nina Nichols, from Resolution Research, while the vice president is Liza Horowitz, Chief Marketing Officer of IOHK (the company behind the development of Cardano).
A similar project is Blockchain Ladies, by Caterina Ferrara, ICO Advisor and Blockchain strategy consultant. This is an initiative that has recently celebrated three years. It is a community dedicated to women who share a passion for cryptocurrencies and blockchain.
The project was created to encourage gender equality in a sector that at the beginning seemed to be predominantly male. In fact, the manifesto reads:
“In the finance and trading field it is often difficult for women to even get the possibility to be seen in the first place, but we are ready to change the situation by doing away with the notion that Blockchain and trading are just a “man’s game”. Women can and will rise to the top, making their money work for them. We believe in the power of Blockchain technology as a great instrument to live in a transparent, efficient and fairer world”.
Among other initiatives around the world, it is worth mentioning CryptoChicks: born from a meetup in Toronto (Canada), it has become an international organization present in 56 countries. Its aim is to spread the blockchain culture among women, and it boasts of having trained hundreds of women who have now started a career in the sector.
All these projects have one thing in common: the belief that women are second to none, even less in the blockchain sector. It is worth remembering this on a day like today, when we commemorate the many women who died because they were considered inferior or owned by someone.
