Portia began at the initiative of the then Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in 1997. It was led by a group of female scientists at Imperial College London, one of whom was the current Director of Portia, Dr Elizabeth Pollitzer, who was researching and teaching human computer interaction in the Department of Computing at the time. Portia's aim was to act as an umbrella organisation for women's groups in SET.

In 2001, Portia became a company limited by guarantee in order to work in partnership with organisations from the public, private and third sectors.

According to its Memorandum of Association, the objects for which Portia was established are:

• to advance the understanding and appreciation of science, engineering and technology and information technology among all sections of the population, particularly women and girls;
  
• to promote the participation of all sections of the population, particularly women and girls, in activities related to science, engineering, technology and information technology;
• to support and attract careers in science, engineering, technology and information technology;
• to link and support young people, especially girls, in accessing information related to science, engineering, technology and information technology;
• to link and support entrepreneurs, especially women, with respect to businesses related to science, engineering, technology and information technology; and
• to enable better access to skilled personnel, particularly women, in sectors of science, engineering, technology and information technology for organisations in the public and private sectors.

By this stage, Elizabeth ( a mother of two) had moved into running her own IT solutions company. It is from her combined academic and industrial background in SET and IT that she brings invaluable knowledge and experience to Portia's work and is a widely recognised expert in the area of gender in SET and IT.

Portia's first project in 2001 was the delivery of an on-line information portal to help with the persistent problem of underrepresentation of women in Information Technology, Electronics and Communications (ITEC). Since this first project worth £350k, Portia has delivered a range of innovative projects in partnership with a wide stakeholder network. To see some examples of Portia's projects see our SUCCESSES page.

Portia's subsidiary, Equalitec, is a branch of Portia that originated in a project funded by the European Social Fund Equal Programme. Equalitec focuses on promoting equality in ITEC.

Portia works in partnership with all organisations that have a commitment to gender equality and diversity. If you or your organisation would like to explore working together please CONTACT US