Women in the tech industry are making significant strides, but it has taken years of smashing through glass ceiling after glass ceiling.
- The Lack of Women Representation- Understanding the Problem
- Relevance of Female Inclusion in Building Tech Startups
- Tackling the Underrepresentation of Women in the World of Entrepreneurship
- Conclusion
According to the American Association of University Women; though some women have managed to break through those barriers, women leaders and developers will still not reach parity in many fields until 2095. However, based on current trends of women entering STEM and leadership positions, we might achieve this goal before then.
Although statistics show how few women are pursuing this field, we’re making incredible progress on tackling gender imbalance within technology and adding diversity to the tech world.
More women are studying science than ever before. However, we know the statistics for how many women stick with these degrees and forge successful careers in those fields. More women than ever before have pursued jobs in science and computers over the last two decades. Young women are increasingly pursuing STEM fields, increasing from 14% of science graduates in 1985 to 37% in 2011. Unfortunately, this ambition doesn’t translate into workplace reality. Women are still underrepresented in STEM as only 19% of tech workers are women.
Join us in our Instagram Live event on the 3rd of March, as we discuss how we can significantly increase female representation in the tech space.
The Lack of Women Representation in Tech- Understanding the Problem
Numerous studies show that starting at an early age, many women receive subliminal and even direct messages from parents, teachers and classmates that they’d be better off focusing on more ‘female oriented’ careers, like teaching, elementary school, sociology, etc. But quite the opposite is true!
As a result, 40% of women in tech either don’t have role models or haven’t been supported by their current role models. While a mere 3% of female students say, they would consider a technology career as their first choice. However, a gender-diverse workforce has proven benefits for companies looking to innovate.
As anyone who reads the news knows, job opportunities in tech are becoming increasingly dominant worldwide and provide extremely interesting well-paid jobs.
In technology, women can pursue some of the most lucrative and satisfying occupations. According to a recent Forbes report, women who have coding skills will be in high demand over the next five years as these roles grow by 12 per cent and web developer jobs skyrocket.
Women in tech, particularly women of colour, face a myriad of challenges when entering such a largely male-dominated field. Gender stereotypes, lack of female role models, implicit biases and discrimination make these challenges more difficult to overcome.
Lack of confidence is another reason many women avoid technology, often because of the imposter syndrome. As a result of the lack of education, encouragement and confidence from an early age, many women underestimate their technical skills and ability to use them for programming. However, by encouraging more women in tech startups, we can create more role models for the coming generation.
Relevance of Female Inclusion in Building Tech Startups
Women make or influence 85% of all purchase decisions. It includes everything from what type of car their family buys to how much to invest in their 401Ks.
Unfortunately, companies or organizations that offer technology products, services, or solutions struggle to reach this all-important consumer. Bringing more women into tech startups does more than create a representation; it significantly improves innovation in the tech space. As a result, we can create more products that enhance the quality of life globally.
Women represent more than half of the world’s consumers, so it makes a lot of sense for them to be decision-makers at tech companies. More women in leadership positions also mean more successful role models for young girls wishing to get into tech and more mentors for these ambitious beginners.
Moreover, women-led startups are known to deliver extremely high returns on investment. For example, researchers found that female entrepreneurs’ companies delivered twice as much revenue per dollar invested.
Misconceptions In Tech?
While it’s a common belief that people with a technical background build the most successful technology companies, some of the most notable startups were created by people without that specialized expertise. Take Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and Instagram as a few examples. The founders of these companies identified a problem they wanted to solve and hired people to build their solutions. Likewise, there’s a need to encourage women to find environmental issues and create startups to solve them.
Women are generally known for their ability to deal with ambiguity and uncertainty. It enables them to approach situations from a fresh viewpoint. Additionally, there is a business case to be made, given that women account for half of the global customers. Therefore, it is only reasonable to engage more women in how technology impacts us all. More women in tech startups mean more products specifically catering to women’s needs, thus increasing profitability.
Tackling the Underrepresentation of Women in the World of Entrepreneurship
The conversation on women in tech is about empowering more women to become tech creators shaping our future. To promote gender equity in the technology business, we must engage girls from a young age to develop a strong foundation in STEM. Then, by exposing them to the breadth of opportunities that come with a career in Technology, we can encourage and empower today’s girls to become tomorrow’s technology pioneers.
Women have to set themselves up for a career in technology by studying, using technologies and creating an empowering community. Unfortunately, women are underrepresented in technology, and it is partly because they don’t picture themselves as part of the solution. For instance, you don’t have to be a techie or programmer to join the world of tech. Investigate the technologies accessible today, their functions, and the ways of use. Educate yourself and practice. Consider how the globe and our society might look in the future and how you fit into that picture.
Women are an essential part of the tech community. It’s up to us to ensure we have more diverse perspectives, a welcoming environment and equal opportunity.
Conclusion
Join us live on Instagram @Tedbree as we further discuss "Building Tech Startups: Increasing Female Representation in Tech".