Shifting the Balance This Women’s Equality Day

Shifting the Balance This Women’s Equality Day

Women’s Equality Day has arrived, commemorating the day when women gained the vote in the US. Nowadays it is celebrated globally, marking how far we have come but also how much further we still have to go in the fight for gender equality.

“This day highlights the negative impact of workplace imbalances and amplifies efforts to encourage more women to fight their way up the corporate ladder”, explains Svenja de Vos, CTO at Leaseweb Global.

She adds, “as our world continues to undergo a digital transformation, we need to keep leading the charge towards a more inclusive, diverse, and fair working environment. Not just for us, but for future generations of female leaders”.

We spoke to nine different female industry experts and allies of women’s equality to understand how everyone can champion gender parity going forward.

Inspiration and initiatives

Hugh Scantlebury, CEO & Founder of Aqilla, explains why backing women, regardless of the industry, is vital. “This Women’s Equality Day seems to have arrived at the perfect time with everyone still riding the high of the Lionesses’ win at the Euros.

“Typically considered a male sport, the Lionesses have broken all gender stereotypes and proved that women can score goals and smash glass ceilings! Yet, both on and off of the pitch, women should have equal opportunities”.

Despite this sporting victory, there is still much work to be done. Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek, CMO at Skillsoft, highlights the data points which show just how much we are lacking. “In the UK just 5% of leadership positions are held by women.

“For Women to thrive and advance in the workplace, organisations must provide them with opportunities for continuous learning to develop in-demand skills and competencies, along with access to mentorship and sponsorship programs”.

Getting women to the top

The lack of women in positions of leadership also exists within the tech industry as they consistently make up the minority in most tech firms. Attitudes and opportunities must be transformed to enable more women to enter these positions and nurture more inclusive working environments to ensure they stay.

Nicola Kinsella, SVP of global marketing at Fluent Commerce advises what leaders can do to encourage women: “when you look around at the other women in your places of work, ask yourselves how you can bring them up with you. Make sure you are fostering a culture that is diverse, open, and inclusive. As women, especially in a male-dominated industry, it’s important to always speak your mind and be an advocate for the change you want to implement. Don’t wait for equality, but instead fight for it”.

Women’s Equality Day is about uplifting each other and making sure all women have the tools and opportunities to succeed.

Challenges getting women into tech

Getting more women into positions in tech starts with increasing applicants. Anne Tiedemann, SVP People and Investor Relations at Glasswall, unpacks the barriers which stand in the way. “There is often still a discriminatory nature of hiring within tech – many job postings are written in such a way that is off putting to many potential female applicants”.

Tiedemann continues: “ensuring that our job adverts are more inclusive and gender-neutral is an important step forward in the market. And showcasing the contribution our women are making at the company not only encourages more women to apply, but highlights role models and leaders in the industry”.

The challenges continue from job applications to hiring in the form of unconscious bias. Krishna Desai, Senior Global Marketing Manager at Cubic Transportation Systems, expands on this: “human behaviour experts have said that we have a tendency to hire people who remind us of ourselves - if 80% of people hiring are men they will be more likely to hire men. The importance of diversity panels when interviewing and involving organisations like STEM returners programme, cannot be underestimated”.

Awareness of opportunities

Many women could also be deterred from careers in the tech industry due to false stereotypes or outdated perceptions they may hold. Anais Urlichs, Developer Advocate at Aqua Security, shares how she herself was nearly dissuaded from a career in tech. “No one had taken the time to educate me about potential careers and opportunities within the sector, and throughout my youth I was often discouraged from trying activities that would support my interest in STEM”.

“Looking back, encouragement and simple communications would have made a huge difference for me. I believe that everyone should take the time to talk to women about the range of opportunities in technology and other male-dominated industries”.

Elke Steinegger, Germany AVP at Commvault, considers the potential which lies beyond such preconceptions. “The software industry, and software development in particular, hold many great opportunities for women. It is a segment currently experiencing massive growth with huge demand and career potential. Women may consider technology roles to be boring, but researching roles across the industry will reveal some new, upcoming and exciting opportunities. Be open to learning, build a network and find a mentor to guide you through and answer your questions”.

Ultimately, in order to make the world more equal for women in generations to come we must persevere in dismantling false perceptions, smashing unconscious biases, having open frank conversations and providing sufficient tools to give women access to STEM subjects. Lucy Zhang, Senior Graphic Designer at Plutora, concludes: “Women’s Equality Day is about uplifting each other and making sure all women have the tools and opportunities to succeed. It’s not a zero sum game, we’re all in this together to make space for diversity. When we do, we all win.”