Commitment to women in IT: VIER expert Edna Kropp honored

Edna Kropp has been a member of the "Gesellschaft für Informatik" (German Informatics Society) for many years and is currently also a member of the executive committee, which works on behalf of the 20,000 members. Since 2017, part of her work has also involved her commitment to the specialist group "Women and Computer Science", which is part of the "Gesellschaft für Informatik" and which she has represented as its spokesperson for three years.
"The aim of the specialist group, which currently has around 350 members, is, among other things, to network women in IT, to make the achievements of young women in computer science visible and to make it easier for women in general to enter the IT sector," says Edna Kropp. Among other things, the specialist group awards prizes every two years to female graduates with outstanding theses.

"It's also about helping to shape the framework conditions. For example, we give lectures, support initiatives and projects, comment on and evaluate draft legislation, invite people to an annual IT conference on relevant topics, publish our own specialist magazine entitled "Frauen machen Informatik" and in this way create awareness of the topic, of obstacles to entry, but also of opportunities and chances," says Edna Kropp. "Making it easier for more women to enter IT and ensuring that they stay in the field are also effective ways of combating the shortage of skilled workers, for example!" The specialist group cooperates with national initiatives, including the German Women's Council, as well as internationally with the Women in ICT Expert Group of the Council of European Professional Informatics Societies (CEPIS). As part of the "DiversIT Charter", Edna Kropp is committed to developing AI-supported recommendations for organizations.

As a thank you for her many years of extensive commitment, Edna Kropp has now been invited to a matinee at Bellevue Palace on March 7, 2025 to mark International Women's Day - March 8 - where she was received by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Elke Büdenbender. "It was a great experience, a great honor and an important opportunity to make our voice heard, represent our goals and expand our network," says Edna Kropp. "We are very proud of Edna's commitment and are delighted with the recognition she has now received from the Federal President," adds Rainer Holler, VIER CEO. "Here at VIER, she is pushing at an open door with her goal of bringing more women into IT and we can only support this important cause with full conviction!"