International Women’s Day 2024 at AutoCoding Systems Ltd

Today marks the celebration of women's achievements and raises awareness of gender equality. International Women's Day, which is celebrated on 8 March, originated in the United States in February 1909 as National Women's Day. With gender equality featured in the 5th United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), the topic has become more prominent. While there are more women in the workplace, there are still inequalities in some regions.

For 2024, the campaign is to #inspireinclusion. According to TechUK, the UK's technology trade association, only 24% of technology jobs are held by women. We asked our Systems Support specialist, Katy Bluvshtein, who works in the Technical Support team at AutoCoding Systems, what it was like for her to be a woman working in a technical field.

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What inspired you to go into technology and how hard was it to get where you are now?

"Previously, I worked in a non-technical industry, but I became drawn to the technical industry because it’s a very dynamic field and offers unparalleled potential for learning and career development. It provides infinite opportunities to make a meaningful impact not only for our customers in the food industry, but also for the wider tech community. It helps to drive innovation by harnessing cutting-edge technologies."

"The journey to where I am today has been both long and challenging, particularly in terms of gaining confidence in my abilities. Working in IT implies continuous fast-paced learning and problem-solving. It requires strong analytical skills, the ability to think outside the box and a lot of resilience to succeed. It took me a while to figure out what drives me and how to get there. However, with the support of mentors and perseverance, I have managed to transition into this field. I look forward to the new challenges instead of fearing them. It was definitely worth it."

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What personal observations have you made about women working in IT?

"As someone who grew up with certain societal expectations, witnessing women pursuing their aspirations in this male-dominated field and thriving in the IT industry has been truly inspiring and empowering. Among them are Ekaterina Matiushkina – a very successful senior frontend developer and a dear friend; and Helen Anne Gregory – a truly accomplished scrum master and a personal development coach whose advice and support have been invaluable to me. I consider these women real-world superheroes. I feel fortunate to be surrounded by like-minded individuals in the tech community, where we can learn from each other and provide support."

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From personal experience, what advice would you give to women out there who aspire to work in a technical field?

"My advice would be to surround themselves with those who believe in their potential. Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth and learning, as they are essential steps toward success. It's important to remember that making mistakes is a natural part of the journey, and each setback is a chance to improve and ultimately achieve your goals."

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How can we encourage more women to join the industry?

"I think raising awareness about gender inequality in the tech industry and highlighting the success stories of female professionals is crucial for inspiring more women to pursue careers in technology. I also believe that creating a supportive, diverse, and inclusive environment within organisations is not just essential, but transformative. It's essential for attracting and retaining women in the industry, as well as providing continuous learning opportunities and bridging the employment gap through mentorship programs."

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The UN calls for more action to ‘Invest in women: Accelerate progress,’ with the long-term goal of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls by 2030. At AutoCoding Systems Ltd, we understand the importance of a diverse workforce. The creation of teams that support different ways of thinking will contribute to a better management of the solution. Diverse teams with different ways of thinking are able to deal with certain situations in a more effective way. For all the young girls and women who are aspiring to be in a technical field, we strongly encourage you to pursue your goals and set the equality parity in the right direction.

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.autocodingsystems.com