Gender parity on the corporate jungle gym

Things are getting better, right?

As a human resource professional and someone who has been involved in hiring all my career, this is something I've always believed, sentences like "I know women earn less than men but it's getting better", "I know there are fewer women CEO's/presidents/leaders but when our generation is all grown up and experienced this will be different" had always been my defence for not investigating further. I should have.

It wasn't until a colleague recommended I read a book called The Invisible Women by Caroline Criado-Perez that I started my investigative journey down the gender inequality rabbit hole. I will admit to registering some initial scepticism but was ultimately persuaded by the vehement insistence that I read it, which for me meant listening to the audiobook on my drive to and from work every day. It started more or less how I imagined it would, outlining how gender inequality was a problem and it needed to be addressed (I of course agree) but again the thought that it was getting better echoed in my head.

I can't remember the exact point where I was surprised, but that surprise quickly turned to shock and a few more shocks later it turned to anger. Perhaps it was knowing that the protective clothing issued to women wasn't designed for them and often resulted in their deaths. Perhaps how the medical industry designs products and even prescribes drugs that have very different effects on women was the tipping point? Perhaps it was knowing that when car safety is evaluated crash test dummies are entirely based upon men's height and weight norms and that NCAP safety ratings are only meaningful if you are a male sitting in the driver's seat and that as a woman you are far more likely to be critically injured or killed because the manufacturer of the car couldn't be bothered to research what happens when you are shorter and closer to the pedals. I just remember listening and growing more and more angry to the point I honestly wondered "How is this not criminal?".

I finished the book and immediately looked for something a bit closer to home, and by that, I mean gender inequality in the information technology industry. A different colleague had recommended a book called Brotopia by Emily Chang, I finished it in a day and was growing increasingly depressed at the state of things and it was the death of my "but things are getting better" assumption, in software development, gender inequity is getting much, much worse.

There are a number of reasons for this, sexual discrimination, impropriety and some broken assumptions of what a developer is "supposed to be" to name but a few. The problem is also a lot worse than the graph above suggests as even with women who obtain their qualification in computer science are leaving the industry at more than twice the rate than men do. Hiring more women, and attracting more women has always been something that has been incredibly important to me and the book painted a picture of an industry I'd never want my daughter, sister, mother, or any female to be a part of, and I am angry, we need to be better than this.

Why does it matter seems to be a question that (mostly men) ask whenever the issue is raised. The fairness answer doesn't seem to satisfy the majority of these people but when we are living in a world that is becoming increasingly digital it should matter to them. The research isn't unclear here, companies with strong female leadership perform better, products made by more gender diverse teams are more successful, there are plenty of purely capitalistic reasons to strive for parity. As the 4th Industrial revolution gains traction a knowledge of software development is going to be crucial and a huge part of the progress we've made over the past 50 years will be reversed if we can't welcome women back to the field.

I finished reading Sheryl Sandberg's wonderfully honest account of her experiences and her appeal to women "Lean In" today and a phrase that has stuck with me is "Careers are a jungle gym, not a ladder". I had always assumed the only way I could do my piece was to appeal to more women to study computer science degrees and to do my best in my role to retain the women that make it into the industry and ensure they have the tools and support they need to thrive. It was only upon hearing that quote that I connected it with what I had been telling our graduates in their 1-month reviews "The most important skill you are acquiring in your first month is learning how to learn quickly".

What do I mean? Just because you studied something else doesn't mean you can't join the industry and excel in it. Access to information in the modern age is incredible, you can literally learn anything from almost every point on the globe with nothing but a mobile device in your hand. You only need the will to learn and a good attitude, technology is advancing so quickly if you can master the art of learning you will excel.

You are probably feeling pretty hesitant and saying things like "I don't know anything about coding" or you have seen Silicon Valley and figured well I am not a hoodie-wearing, socially awkward introvert, it's not for me. Software engineering at its core is creative problem-solving and it's for everyone.

My pledge is simple if you are interested, or think you might be interested in a career in Software Engineering or UX Design, message me and I will do my best to guide you on resources, training, and what to expect in the industry. Whether you are a mother, daughter or grandmother I am happy to help.

Must Reads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41104077-invisible-women

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16071764-lean-in?from_search=true&qid=Tb9W0I4GrA&rank=1

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36288143-brotopia?from_search=true&qid=Rh9nftnppP&rank=1