Women In Technology – 2019 & Beyond

I’ve been to numerous meetups and networking events that at times felt more like an all-men gathering than an assembly of like-minded techies. Last year was a banner year for gender issues. We got a bunch of new female icons behind Time's Up and Me Too campaigns against sexual harassment. Countries across the globe rapidly mobilized and elected women across elections, landmark pro-women bills were passed and a lot of effort had been incorporated to elevate the status of women at home, on the streets, in politics and the boardroom. Yes, we did make progress, but there is still a lot that needs to be done. 2019 is upon us, but has the glass ceiling even begun to crack? 

In the tech sector or as a matter of fact any STEM - science, tech, engineering, mathematics fields, women are highly outnumbered in executive positions, they are still under-represented, underpaid, sadly often passed for promotions and faced with every day sexism. It’s no wonder that women leave the industry much sooner than their male counterparts. Even the venture capital outlook for women is equally bleak. In 2018, women-led startups globally received just about a minuscule percentage of the total amount invested by venture capitalists. While women make up roughly 50% of the global population, they represent a shockingly small percentage in tech. Even though the tech industry is becoming more diverse and companies are creating resource groups to help them grow their diverse team, the gender gap is still an issue which needs tackling.

So, where’s the gap?

Tech is a hot sector and it’s exciting to see more women getting involved. But let’s not count our chickens before they hatch. We still have a long way to go before we reach gender equality at the core of the industry. I’m not saying that coding is all there is to the tech industry. There’s an important place for non-technical skills: expertise in online business models, digital marketing, e-commerce, new media, social media strategy, gadgets, and IT infrastructure are all essential to the technology ecosystem.

To increase the amount of women in tech, we need to think both short term and long term, and break down the walls that institutionally keep women out. In India, the country’s high attrition rate can be traced back to many of the same issues that women face across the world — unconscious bias, stereotyping and the difficulty to find work-life balance. But other deeply ingrained cultural factors make it particularly difficult for Indian women to stay and thrive in the technology field.

There’s an ad I recall of a laundry detergent where a father watches his daughter juggle her responsibilities around work, marriage, children and household chores. He reflects on this steadfast stereotype that Indian women must perfectly balance career, family and social responsibilities and how he has perpetuated this typecast in his own family. It’s sad but true that this societal pressure that generates right from home to be the sole family caretaker while single handedly managing home that prevents many women from staying and thriving in technical roles. It’s true that women are underrepresented in technology all over the world – but the hurdles Indian women face are deeply tied to the social structure and expectations that are intrinsic to India’s culture. For many in India, the ideal woman is, first and foremost, a doting wife and mother. There’s also this unspoken rule that women cannot earn more than their husbands, a disparity reinforced by the fact that Indian women make nearly 29% less than their male counterparts in tech.

How do we bridge the gap? What does the future for women in tech hold? Proportional representation? Equal pay? More female CIOs? Boundless opportunities?

Increasing women’s labor force participation, not just in tech, by 10% could add $700 billion to India’s GDP by 2025. In India whilst there is a much healthier ratio, with female IT representation at almost 35%. And enrolments in STEM education at around 65%, women still require better representation. 

The business world is starting to act on these stats fact. There has been a slow and steady stream of work to improve the recognition and representation of women in IT. Some of technology’s biggest companies have pledged to improve the future of women in tech. Small changes are starting to manifest in the sector, which provide a glimpse into what the future may hold. 

This means implementing policies that create cultures that are open to women and support their career advancement — and getting men to pitch in, too.

Providing innovative maternity leave policies with a flexible return to work can ensure that talented women stay in the workforce and can mitigate burnout after returning from leave, as well as having to choose between a career or having children. 

There also needs to be a conscious effort to get women into leadership positions, which can help lead to more female-friendly environments. Have tech companies forgotten that half of their market is female? 

There’s also the urgent need to change the VC cycle. It is tough for women entrepreneurs to get venture funding. That means the next generation of tech companies probably will not even be led by women. To break the cycle of male-dominated tech companies, we need to also look at this male-dominated VC cycle. By bringing women into the fold, VCs can diversify investments that serve the other half of the population. 

While opportunities are bountiful, the future for women in tech depends on the IT industry’s ability to inspire young women to study computing and technology throughout their school careers and then go on to apprenticeships and degrees in these subjects. The work does not end here. The tech sector must continue to encourage women to apply to the industry and then retain the female demographic.

My final words…

Technology holds the potential to increase women’s opportunities in momentous ways. With the right tools, tech can provide women with new and innovative pathways to connect and to meaningfully participate in the economy. Beyond access, designing products with gender differences in mind carries real impact, whether in the fintech industry by offering adapted financial products, or in human resources departments by de-biasing hiring, retention, and promotion. Rightly leveraged, technology can play a role in setting women up for success—whether by taking up studies in a STEM field or aspiring for leadership positions. For women and girls to fully reap the benefits of the digital dividend, we need to find ways to weaken and break down the barriers that hold them back, and we need to find ways to amplify what works.