Necessary Steps to Put More Women in Tech

There is a lack of women in tech. This must immediately be addressed. Studies show that female leaders contribute greatly to a business success; the tech industry is no exception.

According to data, it may take 12 years to bridge the gap regarding gender disparity in the tech industry. It starts with the lack of gender diversity in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programs within universities. Based on research, women taking up computer science or computer engineering courses online or offline make only 20% of the student population.

This may be because of several reasons; for one, the tech industry is said to cultivate a bro culture; the field is basically dominated by males. A sample of toxic bro culture has been exhibited by former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick; he was accused of cultivating a sexist work culture in the company, discriminating against female employees.

The problem lies with female perception, too. With most believing that tech courses and the industry only fit males, most women do not even try to enter or study the field. This perception must be changed in order for women to fully infiltrate and close the gender gap in the tech industry.

Why Gender Diversity Is Important

Diversity, equality, and inclusivity are crucial in any business. These values are important in shaping job seekers' and employees' views of the company. For example, the chances of women applying to a company lacking DE&I are small.

Having a diverse representation allows a company to attract and retain qualified employees. Moreover, gender diversity, equality, and inclusivity promote respect among employees and encourage them to work better to achieve better results.

Women in leadership roles

Studies reveal that companies with women in leadership positions outperform businesses with fewer women on their board of directors. Among the core competencies the women leaders have are collaboration, self-development, and driving results. Studies also reveal that women have high resiliency and out-of-the-box thinking.

These qualities are important for both business leadership and ownership. With these qualities, women are seen to easily recover from challenges and influence colleagues along the way. Moreover, women are observed to take more initiative than their male counterparts; this is because women have constantly felt pressure from society to prove that they can thrive in their careers.

To top it all off, women have demonstrated their ability in media and marketing. Studies show that around 39% of women have the willingness to face the media to represent their companies; it is 3% higher than the average of their male counterparts at 33%. Because of taking on these roles, women have undeniably shown their effectiveness in business and leadership.

For these reasons, it is about time to have more women in the tech industry.

Supporting Women in Tech

To inspire more girls to pursue a career in technology, having female leaders and role models in the tech business is crucial. Representation is extremely critical to condition women's mindset that they deserve a spot in the industry. Businesses and companies have a big role in promoting women in business.

For starters, businesses must have the right procedures, opportunities, as well as initiatives in place to support women in the tech industry. Leaders must evaluate the rate of DE&I in the workplace based on data and employee perception.

Moreover, businesses can put more effort into understanding what women go through in the tech business. Understanding is the first step in creating initiatives and opportunities that will make it better for females to enter and thrive in the industry. Opportunities include job promotions and professional development opportunities, too, particularly in leadership roles.

Businesses can also promote equality through social media channels. Websites can share news or blog posts of successful women in the tech industry, including female leaders. Collaborating with educational institutions is another step tech companies can do to promote to female youths opportunities awaiting them in the field.

Creating a workplace where everyone belongs

A truly diverse workplace is one where everyone can be comfortable regardless of gender or skin color. In the tech industry, women can be made comfortable in the workplace by allowing them to make decisions and feel heard. However, companies can make more concrete steps to truly prove that they value women in the tech industry.

One concrete step is to make sure that at least one female is included in the list of management candidates. Another is to set measurable corporate goals. Having more women mentors in the field will likely encourage more teenage girls to strive in the field.

Aside from these, more efforts can be done to promoteinclusivity for women in the tech business. The more the tech industry uplifts women, the more chances the industry will rise to greater heights.