Association for Women in Cryptocurrency Celebrates International Women's Day with Inclusion Survey Results and #UnManelYourPanel Advocacy Initiative

The State of Inclusion Report 2024 will be released on March 26, 2024, featuring remarkable findings from over 200 organizations across the globe.

TOKYO, March 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association for Women in Cryptocurrency (AWIC), the leading global community for women and supportive allies, is proud to celebrate International Women's Day with a preview of results from its forthcoming State of Inclusion Report 2024, released in full on March 26th. Today, AWIC's Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Amanda Wick, will share more about the report and the Association's #UnManelYourPanel initiative on a panel at FIN/SUM 2024 in Tokyo, Japan.

AWIC is a global community of women and supportive allies advocating for women's equal inclusion across the cryptocurrency and digital asset industry. AWIC partnered with Diversio, the leading global diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) platform, to prepare an inaugural report on the status of inclusion within the cryptocurrency, blockchain, and Web3 spaces. The report is the most comprehensive effort the industry has made to understand the state of its workforce.

Surveying 500+ respondents from over 200+ firms, agencies, and companies, responses yielded both eye-opening and motivating results. Below is a preview of the survey's key findings:

• Crypto does not score well against the tech industry on inclusivity: The crypto, blockchain, and web3 industries showed a much lower overall inclusion score (43.9) than the overall tech industry (78), highlighting a substantial gap in workplace inclusion.
• The industry feels unsafe to too many working in it: Significantly more women in the industry (82%) reported harassment experiences than men (48%), but results showed that a substantial proportion of men acknowledge the existence of harassment within the industry.
• Individual companies can improve our industry: Variance in inclusion scores indicates that some organizations effectively create more inclusive environments, underscoring the importance of company-wide initiatives and policies.

"The results of the Inclusion Report are a stark reminder of the progress that needs to be made in our industry and have only reaffirmed our mission in enhancing and advancing the knowledge, education, and opportunities for women in the future of digital finance," said Amanda Wick, AWIC Founder and CEO. "What stands out to me the most is hope – our industry may present certain systemic challenges, but these results demonstrate that organizations can create positive change within their own environments and, in turn, cultivate change across the industry."

AWIC is introducing the #UnManelYourPanel initiative to foster a widespread commitment to uplifting female voices on industry panels, webinars, and other public forums to facilitate industry-wide change. AWIC is taking a three-pronged approach to this campaign:

• AWIC is circulating a pledge for industry conferences to have at least 30% women speakers. Industry conferences that have already signed the pledge include Money 20/20, Blockchain APAC, Digital Assets Week, DeFi Retreat, Fintech Retreat, and more.
• Over 100 leading male voices have signed the male ally pledge to not speak on a "manel," solidifying their commitment to including female voices in future panels and speaking opportunities.
• AWIC has created a global speaker directory, which will help collect the credentials, past experiences, and shared expertise of women speakers from across the industry, making it easier for organizers to find women willing to speak.

"The #UnManelYourPanel initiative is a critical piece for building a better, stronger ecosystem," said Ari Redbord, Global Head of Policy and Government Affairs at TRM Labs. "It is critical not only to foster inclusivity but to ensure that female voices are part of the conversation in an industry filled with extraordinary women leaders. In my experience, the best panels have women's voices."

"It's hard to underscore just how important the work that Amanda and AWIC are doing for our industry's growth, development, and diversity," said Michelle O'Connor, AWIC Board Member and Vice President of Marketing & Communications at TaxBit. "The results of the Inclusion Report demonstrate that, with continued education and advocacy, industry-wide change is possible and that equality will have a seat at the table in the future of digital financing." 

"Money20/20 is where the world's fintech leaders convene to grow their brands, with three shows in the USA, Europe, and Asia - it's the place where money does business. We're laser-focused on making sure women feel included and have an equal platform at our shows, wherever they are in the world," said Tracey Davies, President of Money20/20. "We have a target of equal gender representation on our stages, and whilst we still have work to do, we're proud that over the past two years, women have made up more than 40% of our speakers at our shows. We're therefore delighted to sign this important pledge - and to continue to drive forward the wider diversity agenda across the industry."

The full results of the State of Inclusion Report will be available on March 26, 2024, and can be found at womenincrypto.org.

About The Association for Women in Crypto (AWIC)
AWIC is a global platform for women and supportive allies of all genders who seek to enhance their knowledge and education in the growing fields of cryptocurrency, blockchain, and web3, while advancing the opportunities for women and the role they will play in the future of digital finance and innovation. The organization comprises members and sponsors from the private and public sectors, including educational, regulatory, and financial institutions, and those committed to ensuring women have an equal opportunity to participate in crypto, blockchain, and web3. Members gain access to special events, educational webinars, mentoring and networking opportunities, and best-in-class training opportunities. Learn more at womenincrypto.org and follow AWIC on LinkedIn and X.

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Association of Women in Crypto
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