“Do you ever wonder why women’s participation in tech roles is particularly less in comparison with men?”
The field of technology has traditionally been dominated by men , with women being underrepresented in diverse technical roles of the tech world. The term “Tech” encompasses wide range of industries from creation of software application to manufacturing hardware devices and analysis of data and development of Artificial intelligences and interventions related to technological advancement. Recent report by “Girls Who Code”, women constitute approximately 25% of global computing workforces. Notably, in the United States this figure reaches to 48%, highlighting the potential of women in global computing tech roles. The exclusion of women from technical workspaces is substantial loss for tech industry all across the world.
However, recent data shows that there has been a significant increase in the number of women participating and excelling in the tech industry ,overcoming barriers and shaping the Future of the tech industry with active participation across diverse roles.
Why were women’s participation in Tech historically low ?
Historically, women’s participation in the tech industry has been significantly lower due to numerous aspects. Societal stereotypes are one of the primary factors behind the hindrance of women participation in the Tech industry. Such stereotypes often portray Tech as ‘Male domain’ discouraging girls from pursuing STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics ) education. Despite this, other factors such as instances of harassment, unfriendly environment for girls, lack of proper mentorship. Limited access to stem education and few visible female role models make it challenging for women to take risks to pursue careers in the tech domain. Gender pay gap between male and female over same designation is also a considerable factor for low participation on Tech domain.
However, current global data shows that women’s participation in the tech domain is constantly improving, and numerous girls are pursuing careers in STEM. Targeted educational initiatives, initiated by educational institutions and women’s empowerment NGOs, assist in enhancing girls participation in STEM education through regular mentorship programs and by frequently providing connections to experienced female professionals who have proven themselves in the tech world.
The potential of women in the tech world is immense. Their unique approaches, problem solving skills and maintaining coordination among workspaces are crucial factors, contributing to drive innovation, and creating technologies that are used by the global population for livelihood. Women are just filling the roles but contributing to transform groundbreaking innovation and solution in the field like AI, cybersecurity, engineering & software development.
In a Nutshell, the tech industry has historically struggled with gender disparity, the misconception about women being limited to certain roles is also being broken down by women themselves. They are pursuing tech education and proving their capabilities by working for and leading top tech giants like Facebook, Apple, Amazon, and Alphabet Inc.