Slowly but surely, female representation in the technology industry is on the rise, including women at leadership levels. Whenever female leaders describe their experience in tech, they are full of praise and love the work that they do.
However, these same women experience a dual reality in their roles. Unfortunately, gender bias still persists for many women in the tech industry, especially as they climb the leadership ladder.
In fact, while 90 per cent of women say they find their tech career rewarding, 90 per cent also reported being subject to gender bias along the way, according to AND Digital’s Rewards & Resilience report.
Women in tech love what they do
In general, technology is a hugely rewarding field with great opportunities for personal development, career independence and financial gain, so it’s no wonder that women in tech love what they do.
From speaking to women across the industry, their love for their job translated to something further—a sense of fulfillment and success as they shape the industry at large. Overall, four in five female tech workers feel that they have succeeded in their role, reflecting the importance of initiatives on how women in tech can enter leadership roles.
Tech is always developing and growing, it’s such an exciting area to work in with plenty of opportunity for progression. With the rapid rise of technologies such as AI, women should be at the forefront of innovation and developing skills to oversee its development and adoption across industries.
Technology is the perfect sphere to take on new challenges and progress through the ranks, and women can position themselves as leaders and role models for the next generation.
These leaders are pioneers, addressing challenges head on for the next generation of female tech leaders behind them, and their passion is a key driver of their resilience, helping them to navigate and overcome the challenges they face.
Battling the bias
There’s been huge progress if you look at the focus on bringing female talent through organisations, but the sad reality is that in many situations, this progress is still being forced. Some organisations are showing progress because clients and third parties are demanding it.
People need to be much more aware of the cultures that they create and recognise that bringing real diversity to the table is no longer an option.
Especially given that 90 per cent of women in tech have been subject to gender bias and 10 per cent still experience bias and discrimination regularly. Those in enterprise businesses are also more likely to feel unsupported by their organisations in terms of resources and opportunities for upskilling compared to smaller businesses.
The onus ultimately falls on the organisation to root out gender bias in the workplace, and boardrooms should take an active approach to set policies and create an inclusive environment where everyone feels safe and supported.
From the individual’s perspective, it’s important to speak up when bias occurs and alert HR teams. Recognising bias and speaking up is part of the battle and these instances help to break down barriers and institute change from within an organisation.
For female leaders, it’s important to act as role models for those in the organisation and exert influence for areas such as mentoring, recruitment events and leading training programmes. This can help to support women in their tech journeys and help to increase representation within the sector.
Reward and Resilience: Keys to Success
According to BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, it will take an estimated 283 years to close the gender gap in tech. While some progress has been made, there is still a significant way to go. Unfortunately, this progress requires resilience from women who wish to thrive in the industry, even though it shouldn’t have to be this way.
Tech is a rewarding career, and many women are leading the charge and paving the way for future generations. However, it’s essential to recognise that they often have to overcome challenges that their male counterparts do not face.
Women encounter a dual reality within the industry, where they experience both rewarding opportunities and persistent biases. Organisations must take notice and change their approach to create an environment where women can enjoy their work without having to rely on resilience to overcome gender bias.
