The tech world is still reeling from the election shocker of last week, and in particular, concerns about diversity abound. Buzzfeed explains that with Donald Trump in office, women in Silicon Valley are worried that the amount of women in tech will plummet as diversity will not be considered a priority. Another article on DCInno states that Trump has proclaimed that women should not be paid or treated equally, and that sends a terrifying message to tech companies. This is especially dire as Trump places known misogynists and racists such as Steve Bannon in his cabinet, Newsweek writes. Jess Bell, a co-organizer for DC Tech Meetup, told the publication, "I get that people are angry and feel left behind, but that is not the same as the real life and death implications that people will now face. We have said 'It's okay to sexually assault women; it's okay to elect a president who is endorsed by the KKK.'" Lesbians Who Tech's Leanne Pittsford followed up by saying, "If there's one thing I know about women, queer women, queer women of color, our allies, and technologists, it's that we love solving problems. And today is the day we've all been given one of our biggest problems yet." (See WiCipedia: Small Steps Forward, Big Step Back.)

Figure 1: Oh, the Caption Options on This One... (Source: The Express Tribune)

So what are women doing about this "big problem"? Some women have acted very quickly, not just to protest the upcoming changes, but to actually take action. Suit Up, a new organization named in homage of Hillary Clinton's famous wardrobe staple (or possibly How I Met Your Mother), was launched just last Thursday and already has 23,000 supporters across the US, The Boston Globe details. Suit Up's goal is to "help people identify 'products, policies, and programs' they need in their communities to help tackle issues such as paid family leave, equal pay and the promotion of more women to positions of power within companies, including seats on corporate boards." The organization is open to all women seeking workplace change, and is asking members to hold meetings in their communities prior to inauguration day. (See WiCipedia: Icelandic Inequality, Diminishing WiT & Presidential Impact.)

Over in the telecom world, strides are being made for women at several companies. Samsung Corp. Italy and Telefono Rosa have implemented a new joint initiative for women who have experienced domestic violence to reenter the workforce. Women Run the Show "consists of helping women, who were victim[s] of domestic violence, to start over thanks to psychological support and job trainings that allowed them to get their independence again and start a brand new life," Samsung reports. Vodafone Germany has also launched an accelerator program for women-run businesses, The Times of Malta says. "The F-Lane programme is an accelerator which focuses on technological start-ups created by or for women. It aims to increase the number of women working in the technology sector." The six-week long program provides a stipend of €12,000 ($12,802). And finally, over at Zayo Group Inc. (NYSE: ZAYO), M. Catherine (Cathy) Morris, an accomplished woman in tech, has been elected a board member, reports Telecom Reseller. She will work on the audit and compensation committees of the board, and we're crossing our fingers that she'll be focusing on equal pay and gender parity. (See Vodafone Americas Lays Foundation for Social Change and How Zayo Group Makes Diversity a Priority.)

We like to end WiCipedia on an uplifting note whenever possible, which is why we'd like to introduce you to the future of innovation. It's clear that getting kids interested in tech early is key, so Ford and The Huffington Post teamed up to celebrate 20 kids who have already made huge advances in science, tech, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM). All under the age of 20, these "wunderkinds" range from Abigail Harrison, a 19-year-old aspiring astronaut who has already built The Mars Generation, an online community for future space kids, to Maya Varma, 18, who created a lung function analyzer that garnered praise from the White House. There's no doubt about it: The future is female, and the future is in tech. (See Meet the Woman Who Can Make You a Millionaire Inventor.)

— Eryn Leavens, Special Features & Copy Editor, Light Reading