The world is becoming a more equal place, with education now more spread out against both genders, as well as minorities who had previously existed on the fringes of society. That’s why We Need More Women in Tech.
Yet, as study after studies has shown, women remain very few in the world of tech. indeed, while women make over 20 % of engineering graduates, close to 40 % of them often quit the profession or never got into it in the first place. But why is this? We need more women in Tech.
Why Do We Need More Women in Tech
The tech world, despite changes in the work structure, remains a male-dominated space. But then it goes further than just being male-dominated. Attitudes and stereotypes about tech being a ‘man’s thing’ prevail, among both men and women. This then means that, even when women get into tech, they are viewed as less competent or less skilled than their male counterparts. Thus, women will unlikely get hired, or if they do get hired, they are never given work to match their skills.
Pay is also another thing, with women earning less than men in tech even when their job descriptions are similar. The gender gap pay, according to Bloomberg, sees women earn 3% less than their male colleagues for the same job.
So, how do we iron these out and get more women into tech? Below we look at ways to get more women into the tech space, which improves the workplace as a whole.
Get rid of biases
This is probably the hardest thing to do since we are always unconscious of our biases, yet it is the most important part to solve.
We have been raised to view women as secondary to men, and this bias exists among women too. So, to get rid of this, as a boss in the tech world, encouraging both men and women to educate themselves in gender equality is an important step. Admittedly, this should be something that we all learn early in our childhood, but it begins by changing the attitudes of the people who will be parents in the future, who will then teach their children the same.
Introspection is also critical for you individually. Often, we are unconscious of our bias, so, take time to reflect and think of your own perceptions of who women are. By challenging these perceptions, you create a healthier work environment that encourages women, just like men, to flourish. This will encourage more women to join tech.
Create equal benefits for all genders
The thinking of many people whenever it is said that women need to be acknowledged more is that we want to treat women as special beings. But nothing could be further from the truth.
The fight for women’s rights is really just about acknowledging women as human beings capable of doing their job well, getting compensated well, and getting their spaces respected.
For example, in the past, women have always been at a disadvantage due to taking maternity leave. However, many companies are now encouraging ‘parental leave’ which levels the playing ground. Both men and women take leave to spend more time with their newborn child and women no longer feel the pressure to leave their jobs, as many companies would also terminate women’s contracts once they went on maternity leave.
Having equal benefits for both genders, which includes equal pay and equal time off, will encourage more women to get into tech.
Create an inclusive work culture
In the corporate world, there is something called ‘the bro culture.
The bro culture is when men get more benefits from the corporate world, and women who join the corporate must yield to the culture. Since the corporate was built on patriarchal ideals, the bro culture creates and encourages the belief that men are superior to women no matter what and women must conform. Often, it is not a written or spoken rule, but it happens. Think of how many times women have been asked to serve men tea at work just because ‘it is a woman’s job to serve a man.’
And it is easy to see why. Many modern ideologies were founded by men only and thus, they serve men more than women. This then pushes women out of the corporate world.
So, to become a more inclusive company, reevaluate your core values. What does the company believe in? How do they fit into the modern world? How do they work to the advantage of women and other marginalized people?
Going back to the drawing board to change the work culture to include more women might be expensive in the short term, but there is no denying that it will be beneficial in the long term. A workplace with gender diversity is after all, more productive and more profitable due to improved team morale.
Start women mentorship programs
Women will swing towards tech if they know that they have someone to guide them through the admittedly, tough work environment.
By having a mentorship program for women, done by women in senior positions in the company, you encourage prospective female employees to join the sector as they will have a guiding hand.
The mentor could, for example, introduce the mentees to new projects related to their work and improve their skills. This allows for more women to rise to higher positions just like the men.
While all these might appear straightforward, there is a reason why tech still has very few women. Getting rid of the bias against women in tech takes much longer and that is why it is critical for modern companies to be founded on more gender inclusivity culture, and for older companies to adapt to the changing times.