FIXING THE GAP

How is your experience of being a woman in tech?

I started my career in a multinational company that was naturally quite diverse and inclusive, with many nationalities and a good gender balance, so I really began my career by seeing best practice in action. I was always mindful to work for companies with this kind of ethos, and when I became a leader myself, I have always tried to foster this type of diverse culture.

In general, I think the sector has evolved over the past two decades. The gender balance has improved, although there is still a long way to go to achieve a genuinely good balance, especially in senior and leadership positions, and in core business functions. In many organisations you find women who head departments in support functions but fewer in the core business and decisionmaking roles, so that’s still an area that needs to improve.

What do you think needs to change in the technology sector in the region when it comes to inclusivity?

There still needs to be a drive from organisations to create a more welcoming space for women interested in IT or cybersecurity roles. This could take many forms – from ensuring that recruitment processes are free from unconscious bias, to getting the right processes in place to ensure women feel comfortable in their role and are encouraged to pursue new roles – including promotions - within the organisation when they arise. Longer term, organisations need to make sure they have a good gender balance in their senior leadership and board of directors. In many companies, especially in IT, women are either overlooked for promotion or wrongly feel they are unsuitable for the role and don’t go for it. It’s important for company leaders, from the very top down, to work with the HR team and employees to foster a culture of diversity, which will go some way to help address these issues. It’s also important for companies to know what they want to achieve in this area –to recognise what success looks like, and develop a plan to work towards it.

I think everybody acknowledges the contribution of women across different sectors and in the community. Wherever you find women in the workplace, they thrive, and we see this in IT as well, despite it being a traditionally been a male-dominated sector. In many cases, women just need a bit more support to succeed.

What challenges do women face in the technology workforce?

The differences between the way women and men work may be quite nuanced, but women do work differently, connect differently, and empathise differently than men, and sometimes this can lead to misunderstandings. This issue will likely diminish as the industry in the region collectively improves the gender balance and we become more accustomed to working with each other. The interesting thing is that these traits – particularly the power of empathy –are very beneficial at work, particularly in terms of relating and interacting with colleagues and customers. This can be a major advantage for women.

I have seen in the past that women working in male dominated sectors and roles often attract a level of criticism that is not usually directed at men doing the same job. In general, I don’t think there is any malicious intent in this type of criticism, and it may stem from unconscious bias, but it can never-theless be very discouraging for women. It’s important to just let women be themselves and get on with the job, to give them a push and offer the coaching and support they need to thrive.

I like to say to people that women in leadership roles and in sectors where they are usually in a minority are just the same as the women you know at home – your wives, mothers, and daughters, so there is no need to treat women differently in the workplace.

There can be a challenge with career advancement for women which is sometimes because women may have other responsibilities such as looking after children or parents.

What advice would you give to girls considering a career in technology, especially those who may be slightly reticent?

I would say just go for it! Pursue your dream, put the effort in to learn, and expand your horizons and strengthen your network.

How did you get into technology?

It was by chance. I studied finance and economics at university and I started my work in IT as a fresh graduate. It was a field that was becoming more and more interesting, so I it was partly by chance and partly by interest, but I quickly developed a passion for it.