Our World | Founding Women in Tech

“Women in Tech really has its roots in my mother’s kitchen in India. Back then, people would look at my parents with pity because they had three daughters and no sons. But my mum brought us up more like boys in our culture — to be independent and think independently. So that passion for supporting women, it’s in my DNA."

Menaka S. is Head of Business Analysis at RS, managing our team of problem solvers and facilitators between technology and business. She has a degree in computer engineering, an MBA and more than 20 years’ experience in India and the UK. She is also the founder of the Women in Tech chapter of our Elevate Employee Resourcing Group (ERG).

“When I joined RS, I saw that the CIO wanted to improve the number of women in technology. So I thought, why not? We have the leader with the ambition, and I’ve got the passion, so why not propose something.

“To be honest, I had seen us struggle to attract women — they often chose a similar job but at a female-oriented brand. I felt that something like Women in Tech would send a clear signal that RS is a company that encourages inclusivity. That was the talent acquisition side of it. Equally, I wanted to encourage women to think big. We’ve come a long way as an industry, but there’s more to do.

“Before we launched, we did some research to see if there really was a need for Women in Tech, and to identify the things that hold women back. Women often told us that whenever they went into a meeting, they were the only women there which can feel isolating.

“So we’re working towards getting greater representation of women in our tech teams. We’re also giving women in RS the space to share their stories, and help each other reach their fullest potential. It’s all about improving awareness, developing skills, and fostering a very inclusive culture. We’re only six months in, but there’s lots of interesting things that we are doing with the support from senior management.

“To be honest, I had seen us struggle to attract women — they often chose a similar job but at a female-oriented brand.”

“This is the first company where I’ve seen so much involvement of ERGs and so many initiatives. There’s so much passion, and collaboration, and teamwork. It’s very encouraging.”