In an industry filled with complexity, jargon and mistrust, women in Web3 say that the way to attract more women into the crypto space starts with clarity, education and community.
At the Blockchain Baddies side event during Token2049 in Dubai, women shared personal experiences of entering the Web3 world and why they believe more female participation is essential for the future of crypto.
In interviews with Cointelegraph, community members said the path forward begins with simplifying technical concepts and fostering environments where women can learn and grow.
From providing clarity to building skills
From simplifying technical language to creating safe spaces for learning, women in Web3 said that demystifying crypto and making tools more intuitive can unlock more opportunities for women to enter the Web3 industry.
Caroline York, the marketing director of Web3 firm Serotonin, said that making the space more welcoming to women starts with clarity. “In order to attract more women, we’ve got to make the information much more digestible and a lot clearer,” she said.
York told Cointelegraph that women also tend to feel safer in high-trust and intimate environments, with friends and peers as their information source. “Women learn from other women,” York added, pointing to community-driven educational initiatives like SheFi. York said these programs play a role in expanding female participation.
Saima Tariq Khan, an engineer, educator and crypto community member, echoed York’s sentiments. Khan told Cointelegraph that demystifying crypto’s intimidating vocabulary is the way to go. “What is DeFi? What do I mean by cryptocurrency? What is blockchain? First, we need to build that first level of understanding,” she said.
Khan also said that while many women graduate from computer science courses, they are underrepresented in the workforce. The community member said that Web3’s remote-friendly nature offers an opportunity to engage with an untapped talent pool.
Related: Crypto spending will grow, but fiat isn’t going anywhere: Mercuryo CEO
Financial literacy should be the starting point
Paloma Soria Brown, an author and a SheFi scholar, also said education is the key. However, Brown said financial literacy should be the starting point.
“People don’t necessarily know what Web3 means,” Brown told Cointelegraph. “When you know about crypto but you’re not an investor, you might only see the scams and rug pulls.”
Brown said that increasing financial education and building trust are essential to attracting women and more people into the space. She said if more people understood Web3’s concepts of ownership, freedom and community, they would be drawn to its potential.
Meanwhile, Abigail Xavier, marketing manager at Web3 financial platform Fasset, told Cointelegraph that companies have a role to play in making crypto more accessible to women. Xavier said their team actively seeks input from women-focused communities to improve their products.
“We’re partnering with a lot of women-inclusive communities to understand their experience and incorporate that feedback into our UI and UX,” Xavier said. “We want to make our platform and tools more intuitive for our female audience.”
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