President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, in her capacity as patron, presented the awards for innovation, leadership and influence in the IT ecosystem “Women in Tech® Macedonia Awards” today at a ceremony in the Cabinet of the President.
The award winners are:
Kristina Mukaetova – Most Promising Teenager Award,
Maja Naumovska Saveska – Biggest Supporter Award,
Biljana Pejoska Risteska – Most Influential Initiative Award,
Monika Simjanovska Misheva – Most Revolutionary Role in Technology Award,
Franka Grazhdani – Woman in Web3 Award,
Ina Najdanovic Markovic – Startup Award,
Gordana Klincarova – Technology Diplomacy Award,
Elka Joshevska – Global Leadership Award,
Sofce Jovanovska – Lifetime Achievement Award in Technology.
The event, organized by Women in Tech® Macedonia in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Transformation and under the patronage of President Siljanovska-Davkova, also presented awards in 21 categories.
The award winners are:
Bojana Trajkovska – Most Promising Female Technology Leader of the Year,
Monika Joshevska – Female Leader of the Year,
Maja Videnovic – Excellence in STEM,
Prof. Dr. Vladimir Trajkovic – Technical Excellence,
Ivana Karalieva Petreska – Product Leadership,
Emilija GJorgevska – Excellence in Artificial Intelligence and Data,
Martina Dimoska – Future Technologies Pioneer,
Viktoria Trajkov – Digital Transformation Leader,
Sanja Mitrovska – Innovation in Product Development,
Prof. Vesna Dimitrova – Excellence in Cybersecurity Award,
Vesna Ivanoska – Highest Achievement in Technology Education Award,
Nikola Velkovski – Exponential Growth Award,
Elizabeta Jovanovska – Startup for Social Impact Award,
Aleksandra Mitrevska – Young Technology Entrepreneur Award,
Elena Petrevska – Technology Business Leader Award,
Elena Ivanova – Ecosystem Driver Award,
Anka Trajkovska Petkoska – Technology Educator of the Year Award,
Natasha Velkovska – Technology Content Creator Award,
Startup Revolution AI – Best Technical Initiative for Impact Award,
Nina Angelovska Stankov – Regional Impact Award,
Verica Jordanova – Media Influence Award for Women in Technology.
In her address at the ceremony, Siljanovska-Davkova said that today, more than a century after Virginia Woolf and her idea of a “room of one’s own”, a new space is opening up for women – the digital room, in which the new architecture of the modern world is being created. She pointed out that more than half of the research community in the country is made up of women, which for her represents a serious intellectual potential and a strong foundation for development of science, innovation and technology.
The President said that it is not enough for women to just be part of technological development, but also to participate equally in defining the rules and values of the digital world. She welcomed the work of the Women in Tech organization, assessing that through its activities it encourages young girls to get involved in the world of technology, science and innovation.
According to Siljanovska-Davkova, the future will not only require technological precision, but also emotional intelligence, and it is women who have shown and proven an extraordinary ability and skill to connect analytics with humanity, knowledge with care, and leadership with empathy.
“If a woman is successful, her success turns both into an opportunity and encouragement for many other women who come after her”, the President said.
Below is the full text of President Siljanovska-Davkova’s address.
Distinguished women innovators, scientists, entrepreneurs,
Dear guests,
Virginia Woolf wrote in her essay that a woman needs a “room of one’s own” and money in order to be able to write, that is, to translate her imagination into words, ideas and deeds. This thought embodies a deep demand for a woman to gain her place in a world that has been shaped by man power for too long.
In Woolf’s time, that room was a symbol of intellectual autonomy and creative freedom. Today, more than a century later, a new room is opening up before us: the digital one.
In this digital room, the new architecture of the modern world is being created, the algorithms that manage information are being developed, the artificial intelligence systems that analyze and predict, the cyber networks that protect security, the platforms that connect economies, the data ecosystems that influence the way we learn, work, communicate and make decisions. Increasingly, power is not only found in institutions, but also in the codes that silently model everyday reality.
We live in a time when technology is changing the very geography of opportunities. Once upon a time, borders determined the horizon of success, but today knowledge circulates faster than any physical distance. A young Macedonian engineer, programmer or researcher can be part of prestigious global research teams, international AI projects, startup ecosystems and digital companies, while staying at home. In the digital age, intellect no longer lives tied to a place, but freely permeates the world, as Pegasus did in its free flight.
As a woman, I am glad that more than half of the research community in our country is made up of women. This indicates a serious intellectual potential, a huge, still underutilized mind, knowledge, creation and innovation. When half of the population does not have full access to the spaces where technologies are created, then not only women lose, but the society, science, economy, and with it the very horizon of the future weakens.
Throughout history, women have created, discovered and contributed much more than time was willing to acknowledge. Their work has often remained quieter than the echo of their work but recognition came later, minimized or attributed to others.
Therefore, today it is not enough for women to simply be part of technological development, but it is necessary for them to participate equally in defining the rules, priorities and ethical boundaries of the digital world.
Women in Tech® Global is one of the most significant contemporary movements for overcoming gender gap in technology and science. Present in dozens of countries and connecting thousands of women around the world, the organization creates a global network of knowledge, mentorship, innovation and leadership.
It is particularly important that this vision receives strong and authentic expression through Women in Tech® Macedonia. With its work, the organization is opening a “Macedonian digital room” through which young girls can immerse themselves in the world of technology.
I was pleased to accept the invitation to be the patron of the Women in Tech® Macedonia Awards and to jointly acknowledge and commend women who did not wait for the future to be given to them, but, in synergy with men, began to code it themselves.
The awards are presented to women and men working in the most dynamic areas of today: artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, Web3, digital entrepreneurship and education. Especially praiseworthy are women who are changing the technological scene with their knowledge and vision, but also men who, as allies, supporters and partners, contribute to that change. This is proof that today’s digital room has many corners: somewhere algorithms are created, somewhere data and infrastructures are encrypted, somewhere decentralized systems are developed, and somewhere new educational models are created for future generations. They are all united by the source code of the modern world: knowledge, vision and responsibility, and the female perspective gives a human pulse to the complex digital architecture.
Artificial intelligence can analyze, calculate, process information and draw conclusions at a tremendous speed. But no algorithm and software can reproduce human conscience, empathy and the ability to be supportive in moments of fear, pain or uncertainty.
Therefore, the future does not only require technological precision, but also emotional intelligence. And women have shown and proven an extraordinary ability and skill to connect analytics with humanity, knowledge with care and leadership with empathy. A woman knows how to comfort, encourage, create a sense of security, belonging and human connection. This perspective will be necessary for the technology to remain a means for human advancement, and not an end in itself.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
If a woman is successful, her success turns into both an opportunity and an encouragement for many other women who come after her. I myself am an example that when a woman is given the space to verify her knowledge, many boundaries that have long seemed unbreakable are shattered. Remember: If I could become a president, so can any of you!
In the era of quantum computing, generative artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, the greatest challenge will not be whether technology will become more powerful, but whether man will remain wise enough to manage his own inventions. Therefore, the modern world will not only need code engineers, but also architects of values. And it is precisely the female perspective, with its ability to connect reason and empathy, innovation and ethics, that will be one of the key correctives of the future digital civilization.
Thank you.
