For A Gender Equal Future

Gender neutral, gender equity, equal rights and renumerations, well the fight for these simple and basic rights has been going on for years. It has indeed become a difficult problem that needs a lasting and sustainable solution, and it is indeed a mystery that in the year 2023 we are talking about a society that is not gender neutral! It is astonishing and disappointing that women are still being under paid when compared to their male counter parts. And they continue to advocate for equal pay, against gender discrimination and for an end to violence against them. Added to these are the injustices faced by migrant women, women of colour, transgender women and other marginalised groups.

It is not stagnation. There have been changes but these are not as fast paced, or revolutionary compared to the other changes happening around us. The world has seen and has been impressed by many powerful, strong and innovative female leaders. These are ‘some’ women and yet when it comes to ‘all’ women we are nowhere close to establishing gender parity on the basis of merit and credit for work done. The gender gap in technology is narrowing, but not at the pace technology is changing and evolving. How are the women meant to keep up and match the pace? There are very few women in leadership positions in technology driven businesses. Leaders seem to overlook the fact that women bring diversity of thought and different perspectives that can be beneficial and give the business a competitive edge.

If one were to look at the statistics, it has a very interesting tale to tell. The lack of women in STEM fields is definitely not due to lack of skill. In high school girls on an average are equal to or better than the boys when it comes to achievements in Mathematics, a subject that is seen as key for success in STEM fields. In high schools the girls hold themselves to a higher standard that Science and Math fields are for boys and humanities and arts fields are for girls. Moreover, in the South Asian communities, predominantly in India, the girl who picks up Science-based subjects is inclined to pursue the study of Medicine. Research indicates that only around 20% women pursue degrees in the fields of computer sciences, engineering and physical sciences.

Conversations about tech companies and successful tech entrepreneurs are dominated by men. There are more male role models which could be another reason why we see fewer women entering this field. Women in leadership positions in science and engineering companies have only marginally grown in the last two decades, and there is an urgency for these numbers to increase at a dramatic pace. Interestingly enough, when you try to visualise a tech nerd, the image of a man with glasses, with unruly or oily hair glued to a computer screen pops into your head. In the area of online gaming too, the perception is that it is a man’s domain, while the reality is that there has been a signifi cant increase in the number of women gamers. Reports say that ‘WeAreTechWomen’ had reported that 75% of women in tech feel like there is lack of support and respect from their male colleagues. It is concerning that two-thirds of those who responded said they felt ignored during work meetings. Accenture and Girls who Code, led a study which showed that 50% of women abandon technology careers by the age of 35 and that women are leaving tech roles at a 45% higher rate than men. Only 21% of women in the study said they believed the technology industry was a place they could thrive.

Everything begins at the top – the growth and the downfall. Toxic cultures, ‘boys’ club’ mentality, female colleagues not taken seriously can greatly harm a business. Many of us know of what happened with Uber in 2017-2018. The senior leaders in tech companies and leading tech companies should take the initiative to lead from the front and offer appropriate training and internship for female candidates. By making female role models more accessible they can help make new female employees feel comfortable and welcomed. All female employees should have a career progression plan with regular in-service and training like their male Promotions be genderAt a more level, it is that women from ‘low income’ and ‘less developed’ strata of the society are educated and made aware of the hazards of technology. Otherwise they will become more vulnerable to online predators, thus increasing sexual exploitation.

On the occasion of the International Women’s Day 2023 and ‘Cracking the Code’, I spoke with five women who work in the fields of technology in diverse areas, to get sone firsthand account of their experiences. Each of them has had different experiences, some negative, some positive and some a combination of the two. Sonali Saxena says, “Working in tech operations across Australia has given me a deep insight into the challenges faced by a CALD woman. There is a stereotype in

CALD women and that they are typically submissive, good at admin roles and usually comply. I am proud of my identity and help people know more about the women in STEM in India and their achievements in tech operations. I am lucky that a lot of women in tech at my workplace are from diverse backgrounds and are delivering on what I preach”. According to Pooja Sethi, “My career in technology was not easy initially. I faced challenges, but the troubles were even more as a woman. If you had been with me, you would have seen how discrimination came to me. Excluded from the discussions which used to happen in the smoking zones where male counterparts used to make strategies for owning the work they may not have done. However, I was determined to take a stand for myself and other women. Eventually, I gained my well-deserved respect and inclusion”. Abhilasha Thakur, a Business and IT Project Manager remarks, “Being in the IT industry for almost 2 decades, I’ve lived experiences from being valued for the contributions I made, to being ignored for being the only female in the room. In my opinion, we need more Allies, as they understand the need to make a change and are supportive of the change. Equity is not achieved overnight; it needs constant reminders that there is work to be done and each one in the room is responsible to make the Change happen. Here’s to be able to Crack the Code”. Yamini Hemanth considers herself quite fortunate. “Each of the companies did their best to support me, whether letting me work from another location post maternity leave and giving me a promotion right after my return to work or whether taking voting of leadership team members if I was justified for a promotion right when I went into my second maternity leave. I was always given equal opportunities by my immediate managers, even during my very evident pregnancies. With every job having a limited tenure (as married to a Naval officer), I could go about giving my best and pushing to support the right practices and calling out when something didn’t seem right”, she said. Kiran Goli hit the nail on the head when she remarked, “Although companies boast about how they promote gender equality, women typically need to work harder than men to climb the corporate ladder. For example, Tech roles need support outside work hours, and I couldn’t do that because of family reasons, which resulted in slow growth. In one of my previous places of work, there was an informal Men’s Club who supported and promoted each other. These issues are more prevalent in the private sector, as they have even less of a reason to promote gender equality and instead push for profits over inclusion. From my experience, it’s not enough for companies to advocate women empowerment, it must be advocated right from school curriculum. Talent must be recognised irrespective of gender. It took a long time for me to get to an Architect’s role as there are absolutely no women Architects in my team”.

The United Nations release states that the observance of International Women’s Day this year “recognizes and celebrates the women and girls who are championing the advancement of transformative technology and digital education. IWD 2023 will explore the impact of the digital gender gap on widening economic and social inequalities. The event will also spotlight the importance of protecting the rights of women and girls in digital spaces and addressing online and ICT-facilitated gender-based violence”. The various events celebrated across the globe will endeavour to bring together both male and female voices of technologists, innovators and entrepreneurs to start a conversation, to begin a discussion about improving accessibility of digital tools and not limiting them based on gender. Any conversation about making changes to the way women are perceived, treated and included is incomplete without the participation of men. In yester years, people spoke about ‘cracking the whip’ when things were not done right and to elicit good behaviour and better work. Let us get to ‘cracking the code’ without ‘cracking the whip’!! Happy International Women’s Day to all the women and those extraordinary