Technology is Female: My Experience at the Malt Event for International Women's Day

Last Friday, March 8th, International Women's Day, I celebrated #InternationalWomensDay by attending "La tecnología es en femenino" (Technology is Female), an event organized by Malt España at Impact Hub Piamonte, right in the heart of Madrid. It was an intense, inspiring morning full of conversations I needed to hear.

Starting Women's Day with yin yang yoga

The day kicked off at 9 AM with a Yin Yang Yoga class led by Carmen Gómez from YogaKonArte. I loved it. I'll admit I was surprised at first — yoga at a tech event? But it made perfect sense. It was a great way to connect with your body and with the other attendees before a content-packed morning. Breathing, letting go of tension, and getting ready to listen. Sometimes in this industry we move so fast that we forget to stop.

Afterwards, breakfast and first conversations. The beautiful thing about these events is that before the formal part even starts, you're already networking without realizing it. A coffee, a question, and suddenly you're talking to someone who's been in the industry for years and shares your same concerns.

Success stories: how to be a freelancer without dying trying

The highlight of the morning were the talks "Women in tech // Success stories", centered around a question that hits close to home: how do you freelance without dying trying?

The speakers were four women with very different profiles but something in common: they've all built their careers in technology with determination and without asking for permission.

Adriana Botelho, CEO of Keepcoding, talked about the importance of continuous learning and not being afraid to reinvent yourself. Patricia Llaque, a technology expert, shared her vision on how women can occupy spaces that historically haven't been offered to us. María Gutierrez, CEO of Hiwook, brought the entrepreneurship perspective and the idea of creating tools that enable access to diverse talent. And Luz Frías, a Data Science expert, reminded us that data also needs diverse perspectives to be interpreted rigorously.

The talk about the gender gap in technology really struck a chord with me. The presence of women in the tech sector is still very low, and hearing these stories motivated me even more to keep improving my iOS programming skills and to be ONE more woman in this deeply unequal tech world.

Networking and a professional profile photo

The last part of the event was dedicated to networking and — a detail I loved — getting professional profile photos taken. It might seem like a small thing, but having a good photo conveys confidence and professionalism, and many of us freelancers don't give it the priority it deserves. A small gesture with a very practical impact.

What I'm taking away

As an iOS developer, I work every day in an industry where women are still a minority. Events like this remind me why it's important for those of us in technology to make ourselves visible, support each other, and share our stories. It's not just about making claims: it's about continuing to learn, improving every day, and proving through our work that technology is also female.

March 8th is not just a day to post a nice message on social media. It's a day to listen, to learn from other women who are paving the way, and to go home with your batteries recharged and the drive to keep coding.

Thank you to Malt España for organizing this event and for championing the visibility of women in the tech world. And thank you to all the attendees for creating such a genuine space for exchange.

See you at the next one. 💪🏼