Gender Equality at Optiver

At Optiver, we want to create a truly inclusive and respectful workplace, where brilliant people are supported to do their best work. We believe that great ideas and impact can come from everyone. We’re focused on creating a supportive environment where everyone, no matter who they are, is empowered to build, innovate and thrive.

Below are some examples of local and global initiatives that we've implemented (to date) to support gender equality.

Local initiatives

• A national partnership with Girls in Tech Australia
  • We're a national partner of Girls in Tech (GIT) Australia, a global not-for-profit that’s focused on the engagement, education and empowerment of girls and women who are passionate about technology.
  • We're working closely with the team to empower, support, inspire and connect with the female community in STEM through events such as Girl Boss Night and Hack for Humanity.
• Sponsorship of Maths Olympiad programs 
  • We’re focused on growing the representation of women in STEM talent pools, by supporting Math Olympiad programs (in Amsterdam and Australia) to encourage young diverse talent to pursue their interests in STEM subjects (such as Maths and Science) at an early age (i.e., secondary and tertiary education).

Global initiatives – The Optiver Foundation 

Incorporated in March 2021, as an independent entity from Optiver, the Optiver Foundation was founded with the aim to drive a positive, long-term impact on some of the world’s most important
causes. Diversity is one of its key focus areas and below are some of its initiatives to date.

• ‘Stemming the Gap: The Free STEM fund’ with Women Win 
  • The Optiver Foundation has partnered with Women Win to develop a fund that enhances equal access to STEM for underprivileged girls and women.
  • The fund envisions providing grants to youth-led, women-led and community-based organisations, social enterprises and educational institutions in the global south, including Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.
• Scholarship program with Oxford University
  • The Optiver Foundation has partnered with Oxford University to launch an international scholarship program, that’s focussed on supporting women, from low and middle-income countries, to access STEM education at a postgraduate level.
  • The program will provide support for 30 master’s students over a period of five years.
  • Scholars will receive full financial support for their course fees, as well as a stipend to cover living costs. The program will also enable scholars to access tailored induction activities, mentoring and on-course support.