Happy Women's Day - Importance of Women in Tech

Over the years, women have been encouraged to pursue technology. But today, there’s still a wide gap between men and women in tech. Shocking statistics reveal that in South Africa, the proportion of females to males who graduate with STEM-related (science, technology, engineering and mathematics)degrees is imbalanced.

Women are under-represented in maths and statistics (4:5),ICT and technology (2:5), as well as engineering, manufacturing and construction (3:10).

In college, fewer women choose technology-related careers. After graduation, fewer women than men end up working in tech positions. There’s no reason women shouldn’t be in technology. The tech industry needs gender diversity to continue thriving. Let’s discuss why and how women can venture into the tech industry.

Challenges of Women in Tech

Like other industries, the tech industry is a bit biased. Women get fewer opportunities to work in tech. Traditionally, tech was a male-dominated field. So only a few women made it to the top position. As a result, women may lack the motivation to venture into tech. There’s a slow but steady increase in the number of women in tech. And as this growth continues, more and more women will be in tech soon. But why is it essential to have more women in tech?

Importance of Diversity in Tech

Studies show that diversity is good for business. Team diversity in terms of gender, race, and age is likely to accelerate innovation. Each group can help bring in more ideas concerning problems faced by specific demographics.

1. Helps Improve Performance

The reasons for the increased profitability were diversity in skills and less gender discrimination. With more women at the top, the companies hiring policies were less likely to discriminate against women. So the hiring process focused more on skills rather than gender. As a result,these companies had more talented workers.

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2. Provides Workforce in A Growing Industry

Tech is among the fastest-growing industries in the world. Therefore, it requires more labour supply to thrive. Women make up almost half the workforce population. So their exclusion can deprive this industry of the crucial human resources it needs to grow.

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3. Helps Design Balanced Products

Having more women in tech can foster the growth of women-related tech products. The men in tech are less likely to design products not associated with them. But women with tech skills can help make tech products more balanced.

For instance, voice recognition systems need to portray male and female voices. If all systems had male voices, female cliental would seem less interested in them.

How to Get More Women in Tech

Women can be as good in technology as men. It’s not the lack of interest that keeps women from pursuing the tech-related occupations. It’s an unsupportive culture and an undervaluing of their capabilities. So a good starting point to get women in technology is creating a supportive culture from homes, schools, and the workplace.

1. Avoid Unconscious Biasness

Most kids who spend time with computers are likely to develop an interest in computer studies. Since more boys than girls spend time on computers, they’re more likely to be interested in pursuing a career in tech. Allowing girls equal access to computer systems can help nature their interest and pursue a career in computers.

Sometimes, parents can become unconsciously biased. For instance, a parent can send a son to a summer camp to learn to code. But the same parent sends a daughter to a different summer camp. Such girls might feel intimidated in a computer class full of boys who learn to code at a young age. So parents should take care not to be unconsciously biased against their daughters.

2. Create a supportive culture

Organizations should create gender-neutral job descriptions to encourage women to apply. Moreover, hiring companies need to motivate women by giving them equal pay as their male colleagues. Hiring boards should have women’s representations to avoid gender bias in the hiring process.

Also, the hiring policies should ensure gender bias doesn’t take place. Companies should have inclusive cultures that don’t make women feel left out.

If top tech companies give women a fair share in senior positions, this move can help encourage younger women interested in pursuing a career in tech.

3. Provide Financial Support

Some organizations like AnitaB.org provide support to women in tech. Several other organizations want to help more women to get into tech. They do this by providing financial support. This kind of support enables women entrepreneurs to start tech-related businesses.

4. Emphasize Education in Tech

A career in tech starts with education. If you want to pursue a career in tech, it’s always good to choose subjects in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). Remember, many women have made it in the tech field, this indicates that other women can make it too.

It’s High Time for Women to Venture into Tech

As time passes, the demand for tech workers keeps on growing. More skilled experts of any gender are needed to supply labour to this field. Diversity in tech helps to look at problems holistically and provide effective solutions. Participation of women in tech can help restore balance and speed up innovation.

It’s with the above reasons in mind that Liorra Tech strives to employ as many aspiring female programmers and developers as possible in hopes of furthering them in their careers in the Tech World. Liorra Tech aspires to ensure that we create equal opportunities for Women in Tech. Our goal is to empower woman by giving them the opportunity to showcase their skills as part of Liorra Tech. Happy Women’s Day from Liorra Tech.

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