Gender gap in tech: Why it persists & how we can bridge it
ARTICLE SUMMARY
Despite decades of progress, a significant gender gap still persists across industries—and the tech sector is no exception. Kate Fradley, Product Development Director, Flowlio Ltd, delves into the enduring challenges women face in tech, from underrepresentation to limited access to leadership roles, and the ways this impacts productivity, innovation, and inclusion.
Her love of technology has enabled Katie to play a pivotal role in the development of new software products in both the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.
This coupled with her expert project management and business change consultancy experience, has allowed her to work on the design, development, testing, and future roadmap of Flowlio as a SaaS platform. She has also utilised her knowledge and creativity in the production of our rapid Project Fundamentals training course, which compliments the new system.
The gender disparity gap stands as a stark reminder of the inequalities that continue to shape and limit opportunities worldwide.
The Equal Pay Act was introduced in 1970 however, even as recently as 1990, the gap was around 27% for all employees (both full- and part-time), and had only shrunk to 20% in the early 2000s.
Fast-forward to today, and the gap has continued to close, down to 13.1% for all employees and 7% for those in full-time employment. Yet the elephant in the room remains: the gap still exists and persists.
The wider workforce’s problem is tech’s problem too
There are few sectors where the gap is more prevalent than tech. Here, women are underrepresented at virtually every level, from standard roles to leadership positions.
A lack of females in the tech space limits productivity, innovation and the ideas that can come from female perspectives and perpetuates the stereotype that discourages women from wanting to embark on a career in tech.
The challenges that those entering the sector face are plentiful. The environment is dominated by males, which leads to fewer opportunities for women, and it suffers from role biases.
Even when a woman manages to break through the barriers of the tech industry and secure a role, advancement to a leadership position is far from guaranteed. A lack of peer support and mentorship is a critical factor, but one that is a vicious circle: there are so few mentors because there are so few women in leadership positions, and there are so few women in leadership positions because there are so few mentors.
Why should we bridge the gap?
Claiming that nothing will change in tech, because things are the way they’ve always been, is an attitude that benefits no one.
Instead, look at what gender parity will bring to the field. Firstly, there are the unique problem-solving perspectives and product development practices that will benefit from a more diverse team working on them. All potential bases are covered with diverse teams, rather than products being created which only solve the problems experienced by an all-male team.
Female representation also addresses the conscious or unconscious biases which may be found in tech products. When a woman identifies a solution that could improve its usability for women and raises the issue, she immediately expands the product’s potential audience, doubling its reach. Its manufacturer can look forward to a better financial performance based on this insight.
Laying the bridge’s foundations
Clearly, closing the gender disparity gap is essential, yet making it a reality has proven far more difficult than it sounds, as the issue has persisted for so long.
We can see, then, that bridging the gender disparity gap is essential, yet making it a reality has proven far more difficult for as long as the issue has existed.
Education at all stages is paramount. Encouraging girls early in school to recognise that their ideas and thoughts on technology are as valuable as those of their male classmates lays the foundation for greater innovation and equality in the field. STEM programs implemented at all stages of the school journey can increase both their interest and skill levels from a young age.
Women in the workplace need to feel similarly empowered. This can be achieved by education programmes aimed at existing workforces with real-world examples of how the female perspective has made huge differences to company and product achievements.
Mentorship is also a key factor. Everyone has role models, and when more women are in positions to demonstrate that they, too, can build careers in tech, it will inspire new opportunities and significantly improve retention in the field.
However, it is just as important that tech companies review their current recruitment practices and processes. Recruitment needs to be neutral and even-handed, with no bias weighted in favour of one gender over another. Policies related to flexible working must also be considered, such as maternity leave.
Closing the wage gap and encouraging this equity in the tech sector will be a huge step forward. We have seen that the companies which have taken the step have reaped the rewards, with this equal footing for all employees allowing them to develop changed cultures and mindsets.
In an environment where everyone is treated equally, everyone will experience the benefits, from top leaders to those at the start of their careers.
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Gender gap in tech: Why it persists & how we can bridge it
ARTICLE SUMMARY
Her love of technology has enabled Katie to play a pivotal role in the development of new software products in both the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.
This coupled with her expert project management and business change consultancy experience, has allowed her to work on the design, development, testing, and future roadmap of Flowlio as a SaaS platform. She has also utilised her knowledge and creativity in the production of our rapid Project Fundamentals training course, which compliments the new system.
The gender disparity gap stands as a stark reminder of the inequalities that continue to shape and limit opportunities worldwide.
The Equal Pay Act was introduced in 1970 however, even as recently as 1990, the gap was around 27% for all employees (both full- and part-time), and had only shrunk to 20% in the early 2000s.
Fast-forward to today, and the gap has continued to close, down to 13.1% for all employees and 7% for those in full-time employment. Yet the elephant in the room remains: the gap still exists and persists.
The wider workforce’s problem is tech’s problem too
There are few sectors where the gap is more prevalent than tech. Here, women are underrepresented at virtually every level, from standard roles to leadership positions.
A lack of females in the tech space limits productivity, innovation and the ideas that can come from female perspectives and perpetuates the stereotype that discourages women from wanting to embark on a career in tech.
The challenges that those entering the sector face are plentiful. The environment is dominated by males, which leads to fewer opportunities for women, and it suffers from role biases.
Even when a woman manages to break through the barriers of the tech industry and secure a role, advancement to a leadership position is far from guaranteed. A lack of peer support and mentorship is a critical factor, but one that is a vicious circle: there are so few mentors because there are so few women in leadership positions, and there are so few women in leadership positions because there are so few mentors.
Why should we bridge the gap?
Claiming that nothing will change in tech, because things are the way they’ve always been, is an attitude that benefits no one.
Instead, look at what gender parity will bring to the field. Firstly, there are the unique problem-solving perspectives and product development practices that will benefit from a more diverse team working on them. All potential bases are covered with diverse teams, rather than products being created which only solve the problems experienced by an all-male team.
Female representation also addresses the conscious or unconscious biases which may be found in tech products. When a woman identifies a solution that could improve its usability for women and raises the issue, she immediately expands the product’s potential audience, doubling its reach. Its manufacturer can look forward to a better financial performance based on this insight.
Laying the bridge’s foundations
Clearly, closing the gender disparity gap is essential, yet making it a reality has proven far more difficult than it sounds, as the issue has persisted for so long.
We can see, then, that bridging the gender disparity gap is essential, yet making it a reality has proven far more difficult for as long as the issue has existed.
Education at all stages is paramount. Encouraging girls early in school to recognise that their ideas and thoughts on technology are as valuable as those of their male classmates lays the foundation for greater innovation and equality in the field. STEM programs implemented at all stages of the school journey can increase both their interest and skill levels from a young age.
Women in the workplace need to feel similarly empowered. This can be achieved by education programmes aimed at existing workforces with real-world examples of how the female perspective has made huge differences to company and product achievements.
Mentorship is also a key factor. Everyone has role models, and when more women are in positions to demonstrate that they, too, can build careers in tech, it will inspire new opportunities and significantly improve retention in the field.
However, it is just as important that tech companies review their current recruitment practices and processes. Recruitment needs to be neutral and even-handed, with no bias weighted in favour of one gender over another. Policies related to flexible working must also be considered, such as maternity leave.
Closing the wage gap and encouraging this equity in the tech sector will be a huge step forward. We have seen that the companies which have taken the step have reaped the rewards, with this equal footing for all employees allowing them to develop changed cultures and mindsets.
In an environment where everyone is treated equally, everyone will experience the benefits, from top leaders to those at the start of their careers.
Redgate Software and SheCanCode: Celebrating Women in Engineering Week
Equal Pay Day 2024: Why the gap is worse for women in tech
Why the tech sector should be striving for equity & excellence
Gender
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