Innovation and Inclusion: Women’s Role in the 21st Century Tech Renaissance
Throughout the centuries, women have played pivotal roles in shaping various industries and advocating for women’s empowerment, often without recognition of the movement that would later gain significant traction. From trailblazers like Marie Skłodowska-Curie and Grace Hopper to today’s icons such as Serena Williams or Kimberly Bryant, countless passionate women have shattered stereotypes and demonstrated that gender does not determine capability. Their legacies have paved the way for women today to pursue roles traditionally viewed as male-dominated. However, the tech industry towards this day, poses unique challenges due to prevalent misconceptions and stereotypes about women.
In this article, we delve into the challenges faced by women in the tech sector, discuss how these challenges can be addressed, and offer a glimpse into VESLOG’s approach to gender inequality. Additionally, we summarize this year’s UN Women’s message and explore how to inspire genuine inclusion by reflecting on the theme of International Women’s Day. Continue reading to uncover invaluable insights!
“The masculine culture in the tech industry is often cited as a root cause of the gender gap in representation.”
Women in Tech: Challenges and Opportunities, K. Giscombe (2023)
What challenges do women face in tech sector, and how can we address them?
The past decade witnessed a significant expansion of the tech industry. Amidst this growth, there was hope for a proportional increase in the participation of women within the sector. Despite this hope and the advancements in the industry, women in technology continue to encounter various obstacles. These include gender bias, inadequate representation, and limited access to leadership roles. Studies reveal a notable underrepresentation of women in tech, with many facing barriers to career advancement due to industry bias. Furthermore, unequal pay persists, posing a significant concern for female professionals in the field.
According to The Guardian, women are missing out on entrepreneurial success, comprising only 17% of IT specialists in the UK. Additionally, another survey reveals that the number of women in the tech sector has scarcely budged over the last decade, despite widespread efforts within the industry.
As per a study conducted by The World Bank, women represent less than one-third of the global workforce in technology-related fields. In the United States, women constitute 28% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields (www.womentech.net). The same source presents other challenges that women are likely to face in the male-dominated sectors such as tech one. One of them could be a gap in STEM education system. According to Womentech.net, only 16% of bachelor’s degree recipients in computer and information sciences are women, while 21% of graduates in Engineering and Engineering Technology, 27% in Economics, and 38% in Physical Sciences are female.
Another important reason for a small number of women in technology fields could be lack of role models for women within these sectors. According to Womenintech.co.uk, this is mainly down to the gender stereotype of ‘boys being better at science and maths’.
To tackle these challenges, one effective approach could be advocacy. The initial step towards change involves understanding the issues at hand, followed by proactive advocacy efforts. Women supporting each other is essential, while men also play a crucial role in encouraging women to develop their skills and aim for ambitious goals, fostering the belief that these accomplishments are attainable, even in the male-dominated sectors.
An alternative method involves educating women from a young age. Educational institutions can utilize their social media platforms and promotional materials to motivate and encourage young women to pursue careers in science-related fields. Increasing women’s meaningful participation in sectors where they are currently underrepresented including in science, technology, and engineering is key to their empowerment.
VESLOG forges a path to gender equality in tech sector
At VESLOG, we champion gender equality. What does this mean in practice? When filling new positions, we focus solely on the candidate’s qualifications, not their gender. We hold the belief that regardless of gender, both women and men should be empowered to thrive in the technology sector, fostering innovation, and contributing to a world that is inclusive and unbiased for all.
In addition, our leadership team proudly includes a woman. Cigdem Bayraktar has served as the Head of Sales and Marketing for some time now. Not only does she bring extensive expertise in Supply Chain and the Tech Sector, but she also serves as a passionate advocate for women. Let’s take a moment to delve into her inspiring insights:
“I would love to see more women in Leadership roles in our industry. It is important to be a woman who supports other women, to empower each other and build thriving, inclusive and diverse workplaces. As a woman in a men-dominated working environment I will always advocate for diversity and inclusion.” – We’re glad that we have such an inspiring professional in our team!
Currently, our company boasts a 50/50 gender ratio, a rare feat in the tech industry, which fills us with pride. We aim to inspire other tech firms to adopt this mindset, demonstrating that gender does not determine one’s capabilities. It’s time to leave outdated thinking behind and embrace equality wholeheartedly.
Women’s economic empowerment
This year, UN Women’s theme for International Women’s Day is ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress’, emphasizing the importance of empowering and supporting women to drive forward positive change. The organization stresses the pressing need to accelerate women’s economic empowerment. They have identified five critical areas globally: resources, jobs, time, security, and rights. But what lies beneath these key concepts? We’ve crafted a brief overview to shed light on these topics for you.
Resources – When women enjoy equal rights to resources, they can invest in themselves, enhancing well-being, education, and entrepreneurship. This fosters a society tailored to their needs and reduces gender-based violence while promoting political and social participation, and disaster risk reduction.
Jobs – Measures like pay transparency and equal pay for equal work, along with access to care services, can bridge the gender pay gap and promote workplace equality. Empowering women means increasing their presence in underrepresented sectors like science and technology. Closing gender employment gaps could lead to a 20% GDP increase, while successful women entrepreneurs drive job creation and innovation.
Time – Investing in transforming care systems is a triple victory: it empowers women by giving them back their time, generates jobs in the care sector, and enhances access to much-needed care services. Closing existing gaps in care services and expanding decent work programs is projected to create almost 300 million jobs by 2035.
Security – Gender-responsive social protection systems, like cash transfers, can lower women’s mortality rates, linking economic empowerment to security. Insecurity hampers women’s empowerment and rights, necessitating collaboration across sectors to challenge societal norms.
Rights – On a global scale, women typically possess only 64% of the legal rights that men do. Crucial tactics to advance women’s rights concerning economic empowerment involve implementing laws and policies that bolster women’s economic autonomy and dismantling discriminatory legal frameworks.
How to truly inspire inclusion?
Inspiring inclusion involves embracing diversity and empowerment not just on International Women’s Day, but also in the days that follow. To learn more about the 2024th Women’s Day theme, we invite you to visit the website https://www.internationalwomensday.com/
PS. Take a look at our Marketing Team’s photos in the gallery below, featuring poses aligned with this year’s Inspire Inclusion theme!
