Finding a woman in tech is similar to finding a needle in a haystack. While this statement may be an exaggeration, the staggering truth behind it is that only 28% of computing and mathematical jobs are held by women in the United States. To make matters worse, a whopping 50% of women in tech jobs leave them by age 35.
This issue does not simply stop at employment statistics; it is crucial to examine the barriers blocking women from advancing in their careers. For every 100 men promoted to manager in a tech position, only 52 women are also promoted to manager.
Why should we fix this issue?
Profitability
According to a study from the Peterson Institute, companies with more women in C-level positions directly correlate to high profitability.
Diverse ideas and perspectives
Having a lack of women in tech actively contributes to suppressing the opinions of an entire subgroup of people.
More women in tech means more diverse opinions and out-of-the-box ideas contributing to technology that caters to a diverse audience.
Talent
The lack of women in tech also actively contributes to suppressing the talents of an entire subgroup of people – any woman could be a diamond in the rough!
More women in tech means more access to raw talent and brilliant minds, contributing to better technology.
How do we fix it?
The reason women in tech are scarce is due to the misogynistic society that was set up by men many years ago, leading to unconscious bias that portrays the skills of women as lesser than their male peers. Such bias leads to a plethora of issues, such as sexual harassment and discrimination.
Create a safe and inclusive environment.
Environments where women experience sexual harassment or feel excluded often discourage other women from joining the tech workforce.
Environments should be inclusive and safe for women to report
Get rid of unconscious bias and double standards
Companies should take steps to train employees to overcome their unconscious bias before it begins to affect others.
Such bias often causes double standards for women, so eliminating it should also eliminate double standards.
Promote based on merit alone.
Promotions in a company should not be biased towards men, they should be handed out based on the employee's merit alone.
Reference List
corporate.hackathon.com. (2022). Top 6 Reasons Why We Need Women in Tech in 2022. [online] Available at: https://corporate.hackathon.com/articles/top-6-reasons-why-we-need-women-in-tech-in-2022.
Embroker Team (2020). How to Close Tech’s Gender Gap: Lessons from Silicon Valley’s ‘Brotopia’ - Embroker. [online] EMBROKER. Available at: https://www.embroker.com/blog/tech-gender-gap-study/.
Grace Hopper Team (2023). The Gender Gap in Technology and How to Disrupt It. [online] The Grace Hopper Program. Available at: https://www.gracehopper.com/blog/gender-gap-in-technology#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20report%20from.
McCain, A. (2022). Women In Technology Statistics [2022]: Tech Industry Challenges For Women – Zippia. [online] Zippia. Available at: https://www.zippia.com/advice/women-in-technology-statistics/.
Noland, M., Moran, T. and Kotschwar, B. (2016). New Peterson Institute Research on over 21,000 Companies Globally Finds Women in Corporate Leadership Can Significantly Increase Profitability | PIIE. [online] www.piie.com. Available at: https://www.piie.com/newsroom/press-releases/new-peterson-institute-research-over-21000-companies-globally-finds-women?id=241.
Team, I.B. (2023). Women in Tech: Why We Need More. [online] Intuit Blog. Available at: https://www.intuit.com/blog/social-responsibility/diversity-equity-inclusion/women-in-tech-why-we-need-more/#:~:text=Since%20women%20spend%20more%20in [Accessed 10 Jun. 2024].
Tech, in (2020). Women in Tech. [online] Accenture.com. Available at: https://www.accenture.com/us-en/about/corporate-citizenship/tech-culture-reset.
White, S. (2023). Women in tech statistics: The hard truths of an uphill battle. [online] CIO. Available at: https://www.cio.com/article/201905/women-in-tech-statistics-the-hard-truths-of-an-uphill-battle.html.
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