Not-so-fun Facts:
- 50% of women in STEM have experienced discrimination at work.
- 48% of women in STEM say sexual harassment is a problem at work.
- 36.7% of tech positions send interview requests to only male candidates.
- 20% of women say their gender makes it harder to succeed at work.
Studies found gender diversity in the U.S. workforce is nearly 50/50 between men and women. However, this stat shifts significantly when looking at tech-related roles. Just one-quarter of computing roles were held by women in 2015, and this number has remained consistent today.
However, as they say, “The night is darkest before sunrise.”
The sun is about to rise as more women are now entering the tech world. Now, as the world becomes cordless and everything fits in the brackets of 1 and 0, the involvement of women in technical fields is even more significant. This blog deals with the hurdles that women have faced and are facing in this industry, the successes that they have recorded as well as the potential that women hold regarding the future of technology.
Women in Tech: The Persistent Gaps
| The Employment Gap Despite the 47% of women participation in the total US workforce, they = only represent 28% in computing. For women of color, Asian or Pacific Islander women are 7%, Black women only 3%, and Hispanic women a mere 2%. Also, more than a third of women who start in the tech industry are gone by the age of 35, primarily because of the absence of diversity. | The Promotion Gap In tech, seniority is hard for women to come by. Last year, for every 100 men who were promoted to the managerial level, there were only 52 women. Inclusiveness does matter when it comes to promoting women to higher positions: women in more inclusive organizations are 61 % more likely to get promoted, and the figure is 77% for women of color. |
| The Degree Gap STEM sectors have enjoyed increases in numbers, but women remain underrepresented; they only account for 18% of new Computer Science degrees, and even fewer are Black and Hispanic women. Women are also more likely to quit technical classes, and their numbers are reduced more so in postgraduate studies. | The Retention Gap There is still difficulty in retaining women in tech-based positions with a degree or not per se. Women computer science majors are in the field by 38%, while for men, it is 53%. A lot is lost in the pipeline – that is a phrase used to describe a disturbing trend that affects the employment of women in STEM careers once they complete their education. |
| The Workplace Culture Gap Organizational culture is among the reasons that make it difficult for women to prosper within the information technology field. 54% of the women say they have faced gender discrimination, and the instances are higher in the sectors marked by male domination. | The Representation Gap Lack of representation thus hampers chances of getting a mentor and brings out the ‘bro culture,’ which does not help women find good conditions to thrive in. Overall, female employees find they are in the minority with 72% attesting to being outmanned at least 2:1 in meetings. |
| The Mentorship Gap For growth in one’s career, one needs a mentor, but what a woman technologist lacks is a man who will act as her mentor. The women with mentors are more likely to continue working in the industry, stressing the need to structure mentorship. | The Pay Gap Female employees in the tech sector earn approximately $15000 less than their male counterparts. Further, the gap is more significant for Latina and Black women. Female respondents are also more likely to be dissatisfied with their compensation. |
| The Leadership Gap The bad news is women are still missing from leadership in tech organizations and significantly less often are promoted to management roles than men are. Gender equality depends on women leaders, but female workers in technology companies are not supported and experience a glass ceiling effect. | The Founder Gap Several constraints come with being a woman founder in technology and startups, especially on the issue of capital. Even though the companies headed by women have more women in top-management positions, these startups also complain of a lack of gender diversity. |
Initiatives Supporting Women in Tech
Despite the challenges, numerous initiatives are working to support and empower women in tech. These initiatives aim to create a more inclusive environment in the tech industry and provide women with the resources and opportunities they need to succeed.
1. Girls Who Code
Girls Who Code is an American nonprofit organization that encourages young girls who wish to see themselves working in this field hence the needed encouragement and skills. They have after-school activities, weekend activities, and summer camps that have the purpose of raising awareness and giving women knowledge of the field.
2. Women Who Tech
Some of the startups include the Women Who Tech which is an organization whose goal is to help women requestors access funding by offering them support including money, advice, and contacts. The organization also hosts a startup challenge aimed at recognizing and funding women-led startups.
3. AnitaB. org
AnitaB. org is an international organization that aims to help women in technology by providing them with career advancement, and networking with other professionals and even mentors. It is also the producer of the Grace Hopper Celebration which is a conference that brings together women in tech from across the globe.
4. Tech Women
Tech Women is a program of the U.S. Department of State whereby young women leaders in STEM from Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East are linked to their peers in the United States. The program entails sponsorship, partnership, and leadership development that are vital in ensuring that women in this sector realize their desired career objectives.
5. Switch
Switch, formerly called Women 2. 0, is a business and technological media and content company focused on generating and disseminating content, programs, products, and services to promote equality and inclusion in the technological sector. Switch assists start-up founders who seek to scale up their businesses by connecting them and offering information concerning areas of funding, talent acquisition, and building company culture among other matters. The company’s goal is to increase the overall level of diversity and representation around the world specifically in the sphere of startups.
Inspiring Women in the Technological Sector Today.
This world today has numerous success stories of women in tech who have braved numerous challenges and have significantly transformed the industry. These ladies are good examples to emulate and inspire full-cycle empowered women in the technology environment of the future.
1. Sheryl Sandberg
Certainly, women like Sheryl Sandberg who is a former COO of Facebook is one of the prominent women in the technology fields. I applaud her book Lean In where she encouraged women on matters concerning technology leadership, a book that has triggered general discussion about women in employment.
2. Reshma Saujani
Reshma Saujani founded Girls Who Code and is the former CEO who fought for the equal rights of women in the technological field. About thousands of young girls experienced the opportunity to learn from Saujani and get the knowledge that will allow them to work in the tech field.
3. Fei-Fei Li
Fei-Fei Li is an outstanding computer scientist as well as one of the key figures in the realm of artificial intelligence. Li has been actively involved in the furthering of AI as the Director of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab, also she is also a diversity in tech activist.
4. Ginni Rometty
Another example of a woman who made the history in technology field is Ginni Rometty, the former CEO of IBM. During her time at IBM, the company made great progress, especially in cloud computing as well as developments in artificial intelligence. Rometty also supports diversity and inclusion in the technology sector and has been an advocate for the same.
Conclusion
“To light a candle is to cast a shadow,” and this article might seem like a gigantic pill of stat hard to swallow. However, its purpose is to highlight these very shadows working to end the darkness. We hope our list of inspiring women in tech was able to ignite hope within you (if a woman) and clear your conscious (if a man). Share this with your friends and family and spread awareness, as we have yet more shadows to cast and a long way to go!
