Being a Woman in Tech Requires Navigating a Complex Journey

I recently came across a slightly dated Forbes article, the headline of which immediately caught my attention. If, like me, you are a woman working in technology, you would also be intrigued by the statement, “The Unvarnished Truth About Being A Female Leader In Tech.” Rachel Mushahwar, the author, was at that time a Vice President and General Manager at Intel with several accolades to her name.

 Responding to a question by the interviewer, she said, “I wish I could tell you that it is or was easy. I wish I could tell you that it was filled with a supportive ecosystem every day, and that I don’t have any guilt about my choices.” She also wished she could say that more women were reaching the highest levels in corporate settings, but all that would not be the “unvarnished truth”. “The truth is hard to hear, harder to accept, and harder yet to change.”

 Those words hit me hard. Although “gender equality at the workplace” has become well-publicized, the truth is that more needs to be done. The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)field is characterized by a persistent gender gap globally. This gap starts in educational systems, driven by gender stereotypes and entrenched beliefs regarding ‘male’ and ‘female’ work. Women who choose STEM careers often work in a male-dominated environment. Despite similar educational backgrounds, women need to work harder than their male counterparts to prove their skills or worth.

Although tech has taken significant strides globally, women are underrepresented in leadership roles. The imbalance starts at junior levels - women report a higher frequency of being assigned execution roles, whereas men bag creative and innovative roles. Women in tech feel stagnated due to this lack of access to creative roles, leading to higher job dissatisfaction and attrition.

 The problem does not end there. Women who overcome various challenges and advance to leadership positions tend to take a disproportionately higher share of the blame than men. McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace study, published in September 2020 against the backdrop of the pandemic, warned that companies risk losing women leaders. “Women are often held to higher performance standards than men, and they may be more likely to take the blame for failure.” Under critical circumstances, such as the ongoing pandemic, “senior-level women could face higher criticism and harsher judgement. ” More challenging for women is the lack of a support system that understands their social and biological compulsions.

 Tech companies are realizing the importance of diversity and the value that women leaders add to the organization. The coronavirus pandemic is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for companies to reimagine women’s roles, especially at senior levels. Diversity brings a fresh perspective and alternative viewpoints. It fosters innovation and leads to better problem-solving. Women not only bring diverse perspectives and understand customer preferences better; they ensure greater due diligence. The result? Better decision-making and higher profitability for companies.

 The pandemic has produced mixed experiences for working women. On one hand, it has increased their domestic stressors through additional family responsibilities. Conversely, remote working has given them greater flexibility to manage their schedules. It has also enabled women to resume working after a career break. The pandemic is a watershed moment for companies to rethink the role of women in tech, especially at senior levels, by giving them flexibility and support.

  Being a woman in tech requires navigating a complex journey, and women tech leaders have a crucial role to play in fostering resilience and helping the younger generation build meaningful careers. Women-friendly initiatives, education and mentorship are reducing some of the barriers for women in tech and grooming them for leadership roles. Mentors and role models open the door to infinite possibilities. Women leaders need to recognize their critical role-model function and help other women overcome challenges like unconscious bias and balancing work-family commitments.

Besides external factors such as mentorship and organizational initiatives, women in tech also need to understand the importance of brand-building and networking. Implemented correctly, these can be career-changing initiatives. A great way of building a personal brand is to be genuine, find your uniqueness, build a reputation on the things you want to be known for and then allowing yourself to be known for them,

As a female warrior in the tech space, my personal experiences have taught me to be resilient and ambitious. I have analyzed my key skills and discovered that women score a cut above the rest when it comes to multi-tasking and solution finding. We have that inner zeal to manage the home, work, kids and parents. 95% of the women I know run their’ homes with clock-work precision. Yes, that is and shall remain our core strength. While people may say, she already has her plate full, what they fail to realize is we can manage multiple plates and also balance them well. We can multi-task and find unique solutions which only we can. We can settle disputes; we can be calm and breathe fire when needed. Let’s harness these very strengths to our advantage. If we can manage our homes, how different would be managing leadership? We have it in us, it’s up to us to express and conquer.