A current PwC research discovered {that a} profession within the tech trade was a primary selection for simply 3% of feminine college students, and girls solely make up for 22% of AI professionals. With the most recent wave of firms scaling again on range, fairness and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, girls in tech discover themselves at a crossroads.
Does this sign the tip of progress made to date or a name to motion? This yr, the Worldwide Ladies’s Day (March 8, 2025) theme is ‘Speed up motion for gender equality’. And we’re inspecting what’s at stake for ladies in tech, how they’re pushing ahead regardless of shifting company priorities, and why true inclusion can’t be handled as a pattern.
Difficult the tech house
“I entered the tech trade to problem the outdated notion that it wasn’t an area for ladies,” says Kate Shaw, senior product supervisor at IPaaS firm SnapLogic. Shaw firmly believes in making a acutely aware effort to interrupt down the obstacles she confronted. “Actual progress comes from actively creating alternatives, difficult biases, and making certain expertise is accessible to everybody. Worldwide Ladies’s Day serves as a strong reminder that we should take decisive motion to empower girls to steer, innovate, and form the way forward for expertise. There may be nonetheless work to be performed, and we should proceed pushing ahead to safe a seat on the desk — not only for ourselves, however for future generations.”
Stephanie Albertina-Wright, principal advisor on the world cybersecurity agency Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 shares an analogous story. “All through my journey as a lady in tech I’ve confronted challenges, from imposter syndrome to unconscious bias from a small variety of people, the place I felt I used to be being pre-judged or not taken significantly. However I’ve additionally had unimaginable assist from colleagues who recognise the worth folks carry to this discipline — no matter their gender.”
Main by instance
Whereas expressing her concern on the anti-DEI motion within the US, Simone Mink, product operations lead at low-code software improvement platform Mendix, referred to as the EU Pay Transparency Directive a step in the proper route. She emphasised the significance of taking swift and decisive steps. “We’d like extra girls in tech, and leaders should lead by instance to handle gender imbalances. We should act now to stop setbacks and guarantee gender equality progresses. Due to this fact, it’s essential to carry our firms and governments accountable for advancing and safeguarding gender equality.”
Kams Narayan, director of product administration for APIM at SnapLogic agrees. She seems at IWD as a chance to have a good time the resilience, expertise, and management of girls who proceed to interrupt obstacles in industries historically seen as male-dominated. “It’s additionally a name to motion — to assist, join, encourage and uplift the subsequent era whereas honouring the ladies who’ve regularly confirmed that expertise and management will not be outlined by gender. The place expertise shortages persist, all of us should take an lively position in mentoring and empowering extra girls to step ahead with confidence. As Mahatma Gandhi mentioned: ‘Be the change you need to see on the earth.’”
Creating inclusive workplaces and breaking obstacles
CFO on the workforce administration platform Deputy, Emma Seymour, pushes for making a office the place everybody can succeed. “IWD is a celebration of progress fuelled by purpose-driven management. As CFO right here at Deputy, I’m proud to have performed a job in main our firm to unicorn standing – not simply by monetary technique, however by championing various voices, fostering innovation, and shaping a tradition that empowers each crew member,” says Seymour. “What makes me even prouder is being a part of a management crew that’s 80% girls and is obsessed with laying the foundations for the subsequent era of leaders in tech and finance. That basis is constructed by motion: embedding monetary literacy and profession improvement at each degree, and making certain our investments – in folks, expertise, and packages are making a office the place everybody has the chance to develop, thrive, and succeed.”
To encourage extra younger girls into expertise and cybersecurity, we want seen mentorship and trade engagement in colleges, says Seymour.
She provides: “It’s additionally useful to speak in regards to the nice reward schemes and packages which might be typically obtainable for a profession inside expertise and cybersecurity particularly, as these are usually excellent as a way to entice expertise and deal with the trade’s important expertise hole. Applications like CyberFirst from the Nationwide Cyber Safety Centre, which incorporates the CyberFirst ladies competitors, are nice stepping stones for sparking that curiosity. It is a massively rewarding and fascinating profession path with loads of alternatives, and there are organisations who will assist a path to management and respect the significance of a piece life/household life steadiness. Feminine leaders on this trade, though restricted in numbers, are testomony to that.”
It’s all in regards to the steadiness
It’s essential to speed up motion whereas additionally recognising the significance of steadiness and self-care, reminds Charlotte Lucy Corridor, co-founder and CMO at Zinc, a platform offering background test companies for expertise and HR groups. “Ladies carry so many tasks, for me it was main an organization, a primary time funding spherical, and navigating a troublesome being pregnant journey all of sudden – and discovering time for myself was important to succeeding by all of that”, says Corridor. “Taking small moments for your self will help to reset mentally and emotionally, making certain that we are able to proceed to indicate up as our greatest selves, whether or not we’re leaders, companions, dad and mom, colleagues or multi functional.”
On her journey balancing skilled success and motherhood, Grace Ensell, gross sales supervisor at Western Digital UK says: “I’m fortunate to have discovered a steadiness between my job and being a mom due to supportive teammates, buddies, and household.
“To me, true equality is about creating an equitable surroundings the place everybody has the identical alternatives and tasks of their careers and private lives. This isn’t to disregard the nonetheless current challenges confronted by girls within the expertise trade, particularly these balancing skilled success with motherhood. We nonetheless have a protracted technique to go to attain full gender equality, however I need to encourage everybody to participate in it.”
Franziska Ferraz, VP of Media Proprietor Growth EMEA at Criteo, the digital promoting firm, echoes this sentiment. “Fierce prioritisation has change into essential, and that is the place sturdy firm values and management could make an actual distinction,” she explains. “With the flexibleness and belief to carry out on each fronts, this tradition has enabled me to unlock alternatives and proceed to develop in my position.
“For me, inclusive cultures aren’t simply ‘good to have’ for organisations – they’re important catalysts for fulfillment. When everybody’s voice is actually heard, your entire organisation thrives. My recommendation? Construct a sturdy assist community, each inside and out of doors your organization, and don’t be afraid to personal your experience and achievements. You’ve earned your seat on the desk – now declare it.”
Picture by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash
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