Women In Tech

«A McKinsey report says that roughly 40 to 160 million women may face a need to transition across occupations and skill sets by 2030 to remain employed. 

According to a Kaspersky report, 41% of women feel that a more equal gender split would be conducive to general career progression. 

Financial Express says around 76% of women working in technology believe the effects of Covid-19 have delayed their career progression.»

Even if it is not in bolds, ‘women’ is the only common word that you can find in these three sentences. All these reports indicate the grave gender-disparity in the industries that women still have to endure. It is embarrassing that most of the companies that project a good woman-man ratio in their workspaces do not generally have a lot of women in their leadership positions. Well, all this is obvious considering the gender oppression forced on women from time immemorial. Although there are changes, it is time to think about complete equality in workspaces. 

If we narrow down towards the technology industry, we might find more gender gap since the tech industry is traditionally considered a space for men. A study by Statista says, “As our chart, based on self-reported company figures, indicates, female employees make up between 28% (Microsoft) and 42% (Amazon) of the total workforce at America's largest tech companies, the so-called GAFAM group. Looking at actual tech jobs, that percentage drops much lower, as women take up fewer than 1 in 4 technical roles at each of the companies reporting such a figure.” 

Challenges Women Face

  • Inherent discrimination in the organization plays a crucial role in creating a hostile environment for women. Thus, their male counterparts get more opportunities and recognition in the company. Because of the preconceived gender biases of employees, they often end up questioning the technical knowledge and skills of women. Women face sexist remarks and humiliation in the workspaces and are expected to refrain from climbing up the ladder. 
  • Lack of financial services is another challenge faced by women in tech. According to a Fortune article, female founders only got 2.2% of venture capitalist dollars compared to males who got 79% of funds in 2017. This affects the number of digital resources a women-led startup can acquire, thus increasing the gender and digital gap.
  • Most of the women face problems of fitting-in the male-dominated workspace. Since there is an existing gender bias in organizations, women might feel inferior and lack confidence to work, raise concerns, and present ideas. They might become victims of impostor syndrome.
  • Lack of upskilling for women employees can also result in them staying away from speaking up. Women might feel a need to prove themselves to fit-in and fight really hard to even get a promotion they deserve. According to the Women of Silicon Roundabout report 2019, 25% of women revealed that confidence and visibility was the biggest barrier to achieve success in the tech sector. 
  • Workplace harassment plays a big role in threatening careers for women. A survey by Women Who Tech in 2020 reveals that 48% of women working in tech experienced harassment compared to 11% of men and 43 % of women who said they were harassed faced sexual harassment. Further, the report says that women in tech are not reporting the harassment to their senior officials. It is quite an embarrassment to understand that apart from facing all other challenges, women have to remain conscious of their bodies even while working in an office. 
  • Striking a balance between personal and professional life is another significant challenge women face. It is a known fact that women contribute more to unpaid care labour at their homes compared to men who enjoy the privilege of their gender. The working women often find it difficult to manage home and work especially their children and/or elderly to take care of. Women in tech face difficulty in working peacefully since their home life hinders their workspaces. Career breaks are a solution but it is not a solution for women. Women who take career breaks are often looked down upon and not considered for promotions when they’re back. 

A Workspace Promoting Equality in All Sense

Yes. This is what we need. Organizations need to address these issues to inculcate a safe and equal work environment. The tech companies should be inclusive without any biases and HR departments should focus on conducting sessions to sensitize employees on these disparities and how to overcome them. Women and their talents would not be measured through the lens of inherent prejudices. Tech companies should recognize female leadership and let them be role models. Women don’t have to ask for what they deserve since it is their right to get it.