#SeeItToBeIt: Inclusivity is an ongoing journey

Authored by Luxy Thuraisingam, VP of Global SMB & Partner Marketing at Cisco

In March we celebrated and recognized Women’s History Month, however it’s important to continue the conversation year long, as inclusivity is an ongoing journey.

In the spirit of this year’s theme #EmbraceEquity, I find myself looking not towards the past, but towards the future and how important equality, inclusivity, and equity are in the context of—The future of tech. The future of leadership. The future of emerging talent.

The future looks promising

Looking around the tech landscape in general, these recent stats give me hope that we are moving towards a more equitable, inclusive place. For example:

• Job seekers globally are paying attention to companies’ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts, so much so that 39% turned down or did not pursue an opportunity because of a “perceived lack of inclusion.” This is especially amplified among young millennials and Gen Z, who list a “diverse and inclusive organization” as one of the top three things they look for in an employer. (Global Parity Alliance: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lighthouses 2023)
• Another interesting stat that gives me hope: according to the?BairesDev Women in Tech 2022 Report, women in their 20s are making their presence known in the tech world, comprising 40% of applicants for that age range.
• There’s also the fact that doing good is simply good for business: ethnically and gender diverse companies are 36% and 25% more likely, respectively, to outperform businesses that have average levels of diversity for their industry. (Global Parity Alliance: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lighthouses 2023)

Powering an inclusive future for all

Within the tech world itself, I couldn’t be prouder to work at a company like Cisco, whose very purpose is to power an inclusive future for all. And we don’t just talk about it, we actually......

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