Mai is young and ambitious and certainly ‘one to watch’ – she has a leading role in the Cairo-based sales team of the UK’s fast-growing NetSuite tech agency for retail, Excellent Zephyr, and has been instrumental in the digital transformation of a number of successful brands such as ALDO, Trinny London and Gym+Coffee. Mai has rapidly made a name for herself in the NetSuite space and is keen to inspire and encourage more young women to get into the tech industry.
IN THE UK, WOMEN ACCOUNT FOR JUST 26 PER CENT OF WORKERS IN THE TECH SECTOR, YET REPORTS SHOW THAT A POTENTIAL £3.6BILLION PER ANNUM COULD BE ADDED TO UK GDP IF WOMEN REACHED PARITY WITH MEN IN TECH ROLES.
In the US, the stat is similar; women comprise 26.7 per cent of the tech industry. In the EU, women make up a mere 19 per cent of the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) sector. On the other side of the globe, in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the region of my home country, Egypt, they’re celebrating more women in tech per capita: 35 per cent of tech entrepreneurs are female. This is thanks to significant progress in recent years to address gender disparity in the industry. However, the imbalance is still very much apparent and women are still significantly underrepresented.
In fact, Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Amr Talaat, shared a similar stat in March last year at the Future of Women’s Empowerment in the Era of Digital Transformation event: the percentage of women working in the ICT sector ranges from 35 to 40 per cent and he wanted to increase this percentage, on par with men.
I couldn’t agree more: only when the industry has an equal representation from both men and women will there be a fair and equitable status-quo.
The issue of gender imbalance in tech is global – men make up less than a third of the world’s workforce in technology-related fields worldwide – so a lot more needs to be done across the globe to address this imbalance.
Women who are enjoying successful tech careers can do a great deal to encourage more women to not only enter the industry, but develop their skills, advance their careers, build confidence and connect with others in the field.
I have a fast-paced role at a leading UK NetSuite agency, Excellent Zephyr, where I’m responsible for providing technical expertise and solution guidance to potential clients, helping them understand the benefits of the agency’s solutions. My commitment to learning about all things tech started from a young age and set me up well for my career – I hope to inspire women looking for a similar career path.
With this in mind, how can young women go about carving out a successful career in tech? And what more can be done by tech companies to give women the best chance of getting into and thriving in the sector?
GIVING THEMSELVES THE BEST CHANCE
To set themselves up for success, young women should not only read extensively about more niche topics if a tech role requires it, but to also read about and immerse themselves whenever possible in anything to do with the industry. From blogs and magazines, to newsletters and books, there’s so much information to be tapped into. Young women should also join women in tech groups on LinkedIn, as there’s a wealth of experience to learn from. Almost half (48 per cent) of people in the UK claim they listen to podcasts to learn something new, and tech podcasts are certainly a great way to enhance learning and gather information and skills – you never know when you might be able to use that piece of advice from a tech leader; or that hack a developer has shared.
PUTTING IN THE HOURS….AND MAKING IT FUN
A number of studies show that employees are more likely to try new things if their work environment is enjoyable and the same applies to building knowledge outside the workplace. I believe the best way to do extra learning so it doesn’t become a chore, is to make it a social experience. Not only can women share their skills and knowledge at women in tech networking events and corporate gatherings, but they can look to meet up with like-minded women in their spare time.
I progressed rapidly in my career by dedicating myself to building up a library of NetSuite tricks, and this involved constant dedication. I made the learning more fun and engaging by sharing the skills and workarounds I’d learnt with other women I’d met on networking groups. Involving others in the learning process made it more inclusive and enjoyable.
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
Candidates with volunteering experience have a 27 per cent higher chance of finding employment than non-volunteer counterparts. Doing extra-curricular hours at tech clubs is a great way for young women to increase their chances of getting into the sector, but it also helps to enhance their knowledge and skill sets, as well as give back to the community.
Over the years, I have had a number of volunteer roles including supporting school children with science projects. This experience has always helped to reinforce my passion for tech at various job interviews throughout my career.
HOW CAN TECH COMPANIES HELP?
The majority of women can’t name a famous female working in technology. So tech companies should work harder to promote their inspirational women leaders. What’s more, with 75 per cent of the childcare responsibilities still looked after by females, many women are scared to take on a high-pressured role. Tech businesses should offer perks such as breastfeeding leave and good maternity and paternity pay. A number of tech companies are offering excellent packages when it comes to parental leave – Klarna offers staff in the UK 20 weeks of leave at full pay, and with full health and welfare benefits, during the child’s first two years. Google announced last year that all parents will be eligible for 18 weeks of leave, up from 12 weeks. Working for a remote-first company, and seeing the benefits it has when it comes to allowing for more time at home and with family, I would also like to see more tech companies offering this way of working.
Tech companies could also offer personal development training that encourages employees to set healthy boundaries in order to achieve a healthy work/life balance. Navigating the two demands of home and work life takes commitment. They could also introduce female-first policies such as menopause leave. If tech companies want to be progressive, they should think about how they can support women at every stage of life.
AND FINALLY
The tech industry has a responsibility to address the gender gap, but it’s the powerful combination of its efforts and the individual work women can do to increase their chances of success, that will ensure that more and more women enter the industry.
