Emmanuelle Larroque graduated in 2001 and is passionate about solutions that promote social innovation for a fair and inclusive society. She talks about her models, her convictions and her commitment to equality. An inspiring encounter!

With Social Builder, the association she founded in 2011, Emmanuelle Larroque has set herself the task of furthering equality and diversity in a digital world. Passionate about innovation, she develops initiatives that seek to transform practices for sustainable change.

Accompanied by her team, her work is founded on 3 main areas: creating the conditions for a culture of equality, developing women’s skills so that they can become leaders and providing people with the tools to become change-makers for an digitally inclusive world themselves.

Since its creation, Social Builder has provided digital skills and job training and support for 70,000 women.

In recognition of her actions and commitments, Emmanuelle Larroque was one of two French women selected for the Google Impact Challenge 2021, a programme that recognises actions in favour of the economic emancipation of women.

Where does your commitment to feminism come from?

Female role models who are resilient and have strength of character, my mother and my grandmothers. But also from witnessing inequality from an early age. When I was 5 my mother called me the suffragette, that is true! This sensitivity to injustice is something that has never left me.

Your actions focus on the feminisation of the tech professions, in particular. What can women contribute to a sector in which they are not well represented?

Women in Tech is a human rights issue: all jobs have a digital aspect, hundreds of jobs are being created, to which women have no access, and their lack of skills make them less competitive on the job market.

The scope of this issue is immeasurable: lack of skills to accompany growth, unsuitability of services and products for society as a whole, reinforcement of inequalities due to algorithmic bias, the gradual disappearance of women from the places where decisions about tomorrow are made.

What can women contribute? This question has no place.

You are also engaged in the fight against social discrimination. In your opinion, does equality also depend on the emancipation of women and the fight against precarity amongst women?

Social Builder works with female job seekers of all ages, origins, qualifications and life experience… we create seamless paths to provide direction, training and work in the tech sector or help them to set up a business thanks to their digital skills. At the same time, we provide support for our partners, companies, facilitators and employment advisors to provide better understanding and support to help women succeed. We need to remember that every job will have a digital aspect in the future. You don’t necessarily need a qualification to do these jobs. It is a real means of emancipation for those who are furthest away from the job market.

When we think of women who still find themselves at a disadvantage (single parenthood and dependent family members, precarious contracts, low income, etc.), digital technology is a viable solution.

To help women, I am convinced that we must target economic autonomy and skills.