This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the impact of women entrepreneurs and tech leaders. From Sheryl Sandberg to Daphne Koller to Natalie Massenet, women are shaping the digital landscape both in the United States and across Europe.

Yet the overall statistics on female entrepreneurs are sobering.

Women only make up 26 percent of the computing workforce. While women earn the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they hold only 12 percent of computer science degrees. And if you look how many women hold leadership positions at tech companies and venture capital firms, the numbers are even lower.

We have a worldwide digital skills crisis, with hundreds of thousands of vacancies currently in the sector.  We cannot afford to miss out on half of the talent pool.

Now is the time to ensure that women fully realize the potential of the role they can play in the transatlantic digital economy – but if we are going to close this gap, we all need to step up.

Encourage the women in your life to learn STEM skills and how to code. Reach out to the HR Department of your technology companies and encourage them to more actively recruit and promote female digital professionals. Speak at trade shows, conferences, and other events. Be visible in your field. Or start a mentoring program and encourage your peers to participate.

I hope that each and every one of us – male and female – will work to encourage the greater participation of women and girls in the transatlantic digital economy. Please reach out to our Commercial Service teams across Europe – or wherever you call home – if there is anything we can do to assist you in your business endeavors.

The world needs more women entrepreneurs. It is up to ALL of us to empower the female innovators of today and tomorrow. Thank you.