Malala Yousafzai to speak at world’s largest gathering of women technologists

AnitaB.org (@AnitaB_org) Announces the Participation of Malala Yousafzai at Grace Hopper Celebration EMEA 

Renowned Human Rights Activist Will Join AnitaB.org President & CEO Brenda Darden Wilkerson in Fireside Chat

The World’s Largest Gathering of Women Technologists Expands its Reach to Thousands in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa 

AnitaB.org, the global non-profit focused on intersectional gender and pay parity in tech, today announced that internationally renowned human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Malala Yousafzai, will participate in the organization’s first-ever Grace Hopper Celebration in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). The event will take place virtually on May 25-27, 2021.

Malala Yousafzai will join AnitaB.org President & CEO Brenda Darden Wilkerson for a fireside chat on May 26.

“We are thrilled to host Ms. Yousafzai as our missions to promote the education and empowerment of all women are so closely aligned,” said Darden Wilkerson. “The elevation of women’s rights, especially in technology, has never been more important. Ms. Yousafzai’s renowned power to reach and inspire through her words will bring our community’s network to the next level.”

Malala Yousafzai has famously fought for the education of girls in opposition to the Taliban’s influence. Her advocacy has now grown into an international movement and has earned her several international and Pakistani distinctions. At the age of 17, in 2014, she became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize after surviving an assassination attempt by the Taliban. 

Malala Yousafzai kicks off the first of many keynotes and featured speakers, dozens of sessions and workshops, and peer networking taking place at the Virtual Grace Hopper Celebration EMEA. AnitaB.org will be unveiling the top visionaries and thought leaders to speak over the next weeks. 

Hosted and produced by AnitaB.org, Virtual Grace Hopper Celebration EMEA will be an all-digital experience focused on building community, celebrating common goals, and elevating the geographic diversity of women in tech. The Celebration’s goal is to provide support, career development tools, and technical training to allow women to excel in the workforce, while also equipping women in tech with access to potential employers.

The Virtual Grace Hopper Celebration EMEA will also inspire a new network of advocates and allies with whom AnitaB.org can work year-round to strengthen the capacity of the entire corporate, educational, and governmental technology ecosystem necessary for the success of EMEA women technologists.

In 1994, Anita Borg and Dr. Telle Whitney co-founded the Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC), which has grown to become the world’s largest annual gathering of women technologists. In 2020, faced with the realities of COVID-19, AnitaB.org held its first ever Virtual Grace Hopper Celebration, attracting more than 30,000 virtual attendees from over 115 countries around the world with two keynote speakers – Serena Williams and Megan Rapinoe. Earlier this year, AnitaB.org also hosted Virtual GHC India, gathering more than 5,000 attendees from all over India.