The pandemic has shown that it can deepen inequities — and create opportunities. Women are disproportionately affected by many of the cultural, economic, and technological shifts the pandemic is accelerating. But even as many women navigate their new roles as full-time caregivers, ad hoc teachers, and bread winners, digitization is providing a unique opportunity for women to rise.
Picture this: a tech company deploying projects built and developed by survivors of human trafficking and gender-based violence. It may seem like a long shot in a world where those individuals so often find themselves stuck in cycles of abuse and exploitation, but nonprofit tech incubator AnnieCannons has achieved a self-sustaining and scalable system of economic empowerment for survivors.
By Sheila Greaney, Office Manager Unified Communications Galway Dev Center
Blog
Almost a year ago now, Cisco decided to ensure the safety of all employees and closed our offices globally. It was clearly the right move to make in the wake of so many unknowns. As a Site Engagement Manager for our Galway, Ireland offices – I had to sit down and figure how this affected us from a culture perspective.
With 75% site attendance in Galway we always have a highly populated office which helps grow a very special site culture and atmosphere – something we take a great deal of pride in. We are, after all, Ireland’s #1 Great Place to Work!
As every nation struggles to contain COVID-19, one of the most pressing challenges for governments, public health officials, and humanitarians has been the fact that misinformation about the pandemic seems to spread almost as quickly as the virus itself. In nearly every country, conspiracy theories and false narratives abound, from rumors about the origin of the virus and how it is spread, to false advice about how to treat it.
We have created a new blog series that focuses on the people behind Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at Cisco. Each blog in this series will highlight a different Cisco employee who works closely with CSR initiatives across the company.
In rural India, smallholder farmers often struggle to earn a living. They are also largely dependent on highly polluting diesel fuel, the dominant source of energy across northern and eastern India, responsible for 5 percent of the country’s carbon emissions.
Worldwide, 650 million people still live in extreme poverty. More than 1.5 billion people lack access to banking and financial services, and 617 million youth lack basic mathematics and literacy skills.
Cisco is one company working to improve access to technology-enabled solutions that can address some of these gaps and power an equitable and inclusive future.
By Tae Yoo, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs at Cisco
Blog
Cisco’s purpose to power an inclusive future for all is something the company has been committed to for decades. The power of our technology to create positive and inclusive outcomes on a global scale was immediately apparent to Cisco’s founders and has been core to our corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs ever since. We have always focused on providing individuals and communities with access to opportunities—helping people get their basic needs met, obtain relevant skills, and find or create meaningful employment in a digital economy.
By John Moses, Vice President, Americas Partner Organization
Blog
If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that the old adage is true: necessity truly is the mother of invention. It’s also shown us that when we work together, not only can we adapt, but we can overcome challenges and even achieve things we previously hadn’t thought were possible.
Our partners have been the very embodiment of those ideas over the course of this year, helping in ways large and small all around the world. Cisco, too, has leaned into the challenges that 2020 has thrown our way, and together we’ve worked to create the solutions our communities need most.