March
is Women's History Month, a time when women around the world are to be
celebrated for their contributions to history, culture and society. However,
while we've come a long way, women still struggle to receive the accolades,
recognition, and opportunities that they deserve - particularly in the tech
industry.
In
honor of Women's History Month, several technology leaders have shared what
this means to them.
Wanda Miles, manager, PMO at Exabeam
"On
Women's History Month and beyond, we must remember that more diverse teams lead to higher revenue. Companies should have long been regarding diversity as a
core goal not only in terms of demographics and representation, but also in
terms of business objectives. Those that do set themselves up to thrive, as in
the case of Exabeam.
In
2013, Exabeam created the ExaGals to support and empower women within the
company and in the tech community. In 2020, we formed the CommUNITY Council to
create an environment that becomes more diverse, inclusive, and aware of the
unique experiences of underrepresented groups. These initiatives are joined by
our Exabeam Cares program that aims to give back to the community through
education and opportunities for underrepresented groups in the industry.
Exabeam's core focus on diversity in the workplace contributed to a record-breaking 2021, and there is no sign of that success slowing down anytime
soon.
Beyond
internal programs, businesses can make a lot of progress by being creative in
diversifying the talent pool. They can establish scholarships for students from
low-income households and other marginalized backgrounds and visit schools in
underserved communities to meet students where they are. It's especially
important to reach out to students of all backgrounds when they're young, as 80% of students
will have made up their mind on their perceived ability in math and science by
the eighth grade. Moreover, companies should expand recruitment efforts to
include candidates with less conventional educations such as GEDs and community
college.
I
encourage company executives to pledge this year to give people of all races
and gender identities the power to tell their own stories, tread their own
paths and pursue their own ambitions in the tech industry and beyond. We've
come too far to settle for anything less."
Gal Helemski, CTO and co-founder, PlainID
"Women's
History Month is a time to celebrate successful women in technology -- and all
career fields -- while also seeking to make changes that break the bias we
still see when it comes to making career choices. While there has been an
influx of women pursuing careers in technology, women only make up 11% of the
global cybersecurity industry with less than 1% of them in C-suite leadership
positions.
Taking
leadership roles in cybersecurity is important for everyone, but sometimes
women don't view it as an option. I'm proud to be in leadership for a company
that now consists of more than 40% of women. I'm grateful that I've showcased
that it is possible to succeed as a woman in technology, and I hope to
encourage more women to pursue careers in cybersecurity."
Andrea Edmonds, CPA, CGMA, chief financial officer at Cyber Security Works
"I have been engaged in information
technology for the last 25 years. With the growth of the global internet of
things, it was clear that a robust cyber defense was necessary. I spent the
first 20+ years of my career at Arthur Andersen, PwC, and Intel. I left the
corporate world in 2017 to join my first startup. I was fortunate to receive
two offers from cyber startups, and I knew a cyber investment fund manager. I
shared that I was looking for challenge and collaboration in culture, and he
recommended the New Mexico firm, RiskSense. I joined RiskSense as I am
passionate about startups in New Mexico, my home state.
At
RiskSense, I met the founder, Srinivas Mukkamala, who has been a mentor since.
The culture at RiskSense allowed me to move from accounting/finance to help
marketing and sales work on significant business challenges. I also met the
co-founder of Cyber Security Works (CSW), Ram Movva, in 2018 as RiskSense
worked with CSW as a close partner. I was honored to be offered the CFO role at
CSW in 2021 when CSW opened its US headquarters. The mentors I have worked with
through my cybersecurity journey have made all of the difference in my career.
I am honored to work with passionate, open-minded, and intelligent people in a
dynamic field on these significant cyber challenges.
On CSW how is breaking the bias with regards to gender disparity
in the cybersecurity industry:
At
CSW, we are working to increase women's awareness of cybersecurity as a great
career field for women. We are hiring a diverse leadership team through
mentoring and hiring women into leadership roles. We see more and more women
join the company every day."
Caroline
Seymour, VP of product marketing, Zerto, a
Hewlett Packard Enterprise company
"Women's
History Month represents a vitally important time to celebrate how far we have
come together, but also to reflect on how much work still remains to be done.
We must continue to reinvigorate and refresh women's equality movements and
persist in our support and encouragement of all the young girls and women out
there.
Coming
from the technology sector myself, I am acutely aware women remain
significantly underrepresented. In fact, it was recently reported that in 2021
tech roles held by women increased by just 2%, with cybersecurity found to be one of the least
gender-diverse sectors.
Awareness
and sensitivity to the gender gap issue is stronger than ever, but there is
still so much more to be done. For example, some initiatives that are realistic
and can be easily implemented today include, creating gender-neutral job
descriptions, ensuring women are part of the interviewing team, ensuring that
interview rounds include diverse candidates, conducting regular pay equity
reviews to attract and retain candidates, offering mentorship and advancement
programs, and regularly evaluating hiring and promotion processes to eliminate
bias.
Of
course, the lack of diversity in tech is not a problem solely facilitated by
the employment sector, for many, the issues begin far before entering the
workforce. Young girls face notable obstacles from very early on in their
schooling, whether that is unconscious bias, or being actively discouraged from
STEM subjects. Therefore, by the time they are making career choices, many have
not taken on higher STEM education and therefore do not have the necessary
qualifications to enter the science and technology sectors as easily as their
male counterparts.
To
truly begin making significant changes to the industry we not only need to
implement progressive strategies to hire and retain women in tech, but we need
to start doing far more to mentor girls and encourage them to maintain STEM
studies into higher education. After all, gender parity in the workplace is not
a one-sided victory, diversity of thought is invaluable to any company and it
simply cannot be achieved without bringing women to the table."
Julie
Giannini, chief customer officer, Egnyte
"This
year during Women's History Month, we celebrate women all over the world who
pushed forward so others could thrive. While the journey is far from over -
with women in leadership remaining underrepresented and gender biases still
prevalent across many industries - we can take the time to celebrate the women
who got us here, as well as those who keep pushing.
I've
seen this not only in my own family through the hard work of my mother, who
immigrated to the US and is still working as an interpreter at 85, but also in
all of the women who have inspired me over the years. A longtime colleague and
mentor of mine often saw things in me that I didn't see in myself and was able
to help me adjust my career path along the way. Her support and advice made it
easier to navigate the unpredictability of life.
The
recent Winter Olympics was a palpable reminder of how everyone wins when they
can get to their own starting line. Beginnings can look different for
everyone, but running your own race and doing it intentionally, and with care,
will inspire those around you to achieve more. As leaders, we must always be
prepared to elevate others and push everyone to their full potential. This
makes all of us stronger."
Arti Raman, founder and CEO at
Titaniam
Upon
reflection of my role as a female founder of a tech company, I realize that I
am one drop in the bucket in the widespread market of technology founders. Yet
when I show up to events, it never ceases to astonish me how rare it is to find
other women in this space with me. I have been to conferences where I've
skimmed through the speaker list and found myself to be the only female in the
lineup. When I went to present to the audience of 50, there were two women in
the room with me. This is statistically supported, with women making up
28% of the STEM workforce and research which
shows that girls tend to lose interest in sciences and technology subjects when they are as young as 12.
One
of the most important things I will ever do as a woman is be a role model. That
is, to stand where I am, as a proud woman in technology, and to believe in the
next generation of girls choosing their careers, and the women already in the
workforce with interest in joining the field. I am where I am because people
down the line believed in me, and knew that I could do the things I set out to
do - from getting my advanced mathematics training to creating my encryption
technology to filing for patents to founding the company with those products. I
stand where I am now, with the message to girls and women everywhere that it
doesn't matter what is expected of you or what society tells us we should
accomplish based on our gender. I want girls and women everywhere to know that
they are good enough, and they can do it. More so, I would love it if you did.
I would love to see you here, in this space, with me. We need you.
Kathy
Gormley, principle solutions engineer at Resistant
AI:
"Women's
History Month is the time to celebrate women and their successes. While the
number of women entering traditionally male-dominated industries such as
finance and technology has increased, there's still a lot of work to do to
level the playing field. There's something powerful about seeing women succeed
in these roles because it can give other women a sense of visibility and a push
of confidence. It validates and reinforces the idea that they, too, can go down
this path and make history.
I
recommend finding a talented and driven network. Having a solid network and
mentors to look up to creates a sense of unity and helps give that extra nudge.
I wouldn't be where I am today without a strong support system of female
leaders and peers who pushed me to reset boundaries and be fearless with my
career. I hope that I am able to empower a whole new generation of women to
take up prominent roles to help others make a transformational shift and close
the gender gap for future generations."
Juniper Emnett, product manager at Wisetail
"For
a long time, through many different fights for equality, the responsibility to
strive for change is often put on the group that's facing oppression. However,
the biggest impact often comes when those with privilege set it aside and focus
on making changes in their own minds and communities. Women's History Month is
a call-to-action for those who hold biases or recognize them in organizations
and take the responsibility to right the ship.
At
Wisetail, one way we break the bias is ensuring that all team members are
offered time off and support for things that have previously been characterized
as ‘women specific.' Things like doctors appointments, sporting events or
school commitments have flexibility for all genders, and Wisetail empowers all
employees to be the best parents, partners and valuable participants in their
communities that they can be.
It
takes work and intention to break habits, biases and thought patterns that view
people who aren't like you as less valuable, less worthy, or less qualified.
It's uncomfortable work that can initially leave you feeling ashamed of past
behaviors and beliefs, but persist, because a world free of bias, stereotypes
and discrimination is a bright light at the end of that tunnel."
Richa Gupta, CPO (chief people officer), Globalization
Partners
"As
a proud immigrant who was raised in a small city with limited resources and who
came to this country from India with just $4,000, a suitcase and a big dream,
Women's History Month has a very personal meaning to me. Today, I'm Chief Human
Resources Officer for a global employment platform that makes it easy to hire
anyone, anywhere, no matter where they reside. I've witnessed how the
acceptance of hiring talent remotely has been particularly and positively
impactful for women. With newfound access to jobs, women do not have to leave
the workforce in the significant numbers they did due to the pandemic
sacrificing their professional and financial wellbeing. Families, and even
communities, can stay intact.
Women's
History Month is also a great time to remember the importance of how all
employees feel about their workplace - most notably, in relation to feelings of
inclusion, fulfillment, happiness and trust in leadership. It is my core belief
that from recruitment, to development, to establishing inclusive policies, all
businesses must strive to prioritize inclusion across every aspect of the
organization to further accelerate progression. It's so important to be
conscious of what a balanced and inclusive team looks like, to integrate people
from all walks-of-life with empathy and to be cognizant of what it takes to
achieve this.
We
all know we have a long way to go towards equality for women worldwide, but I
do believe that as the world of work continues to change and adapt to more
remote work and autonomy, women (and all genders) will find that geography no
longer dictates their destiny. I believe that if you include and offer chances
to women in a variety of roles and fields globally, you automatically ensure
global inclusivity.
At
G-P, we believe that our culture of inclusion starts with the power of the
purpose of our company; it is co-created by our Dream team for care, community
and belonging; further nurtured by our leaders with empathy, empowerment, and
trust; strengthen by listening and educating our teams; and supported by
inclusive hiring and talent practices. We believe that if you chase inclusion,
diversity follows. I'm proud that our gender ratio is 47% women to 53% men in
our entirely remote, global team of over 900 employees (and growing!)
worldwide. Together we must champion and celebrate the successes of women
around the world who are achieving great things. Though we still have a
long way to go in creating a more equal and just world, together is the only
way we will get there. My advice for other women is to keep learning, keep
networking, hone your skills and most importantly, trust yourself and your
superpowers (yes, you have many!)."
Svenja De Vos, CTO, Leaseweb Global
"In
2021, Deloitte Global predicted that large global technology firms, on average,
will reach nearly 33% overall female representation in their workforces in
2022. While these statistics paint a rosy picture of the progress to minimize
the gender gap, we still have some work to do. This year's Women's History
Month, I think it is critical for women already in the technology field to
express their enthusiasm for a career in the industry. After all, if we don't,
how can we expect more women to be encouraged to be involved?
It
is of the utmost importance that we teach young girls that women are successful
in the technological realm. Despite the fact that there has been an influx of
women joining the tech workforce in recent years, being a female manager in the
tech world is still considered ‘abnormal.' I encourage women who are leaders in
the industry to speak about their experiences to the younger generation to
entice young people to get them excited about a technical education or
career."
Nicola Kinsella, VP of global marketing at Fluent
Commerce
"This
year we celebrate Women's History Month with awareness. While it's easy to
gravitate towards the familiar and consume information that only affirms our
beliefs, it's important to give weight to the data and facts. There are still
issues with gender discrimination, pay gaps, and unequal distribution of
household labor that ripple through society. Organizations should be ready to
adopt a proactive approach so they can combat these issues head on. Beyond
that, choosing to see the good in others, instead of assuming based on
unconscious bias, will be the only way we can begin to break our own
predisposition."
Lauren Vigliante, VP people, Forter
"Women's
History Month brings attention to the conversation around diversity and
inclusion in the tech industry. While the tech industry has made strides to
include more women in upper management positions, there is still a long way to
go. There is a massive gender talent gap; as of 2021 women only hold 26% of
executive, senior-level and management positions in S&P 500 companies. Tech
organizations must break down existing biases to level the playing field as
much as possible. As leaders, it's essential to question if we are functioning
in the best way we can and question how we can create a more collaborative
culture.
The
biggest key to making a real, impactful change regarding DEIB is transparency.
To
improve Forter's DEIB initiatives, we hired a consultant for perspective on how
we could make deliberate improvements. She interviewed some of our employees
worldwide and followed up with an anonymous survey to address the existing gaps
and strategize how we could make Forter a more inclusive place to work.
While
we still have a long journey to progress, the percentage of Black, Indigenous
and People of Color (BIPOC) in sales at Forter has grown 6% in under six
months. Approximately 25% of our leadership roles are occupied by women, but we
are working to increase this number as we attract and develop new talent. We've
launched an internal mobility program to encourage people to apply internally
for new growth opportunities. We've incorporated half-day Fridays in the U.S. and
two Sundays off a month in Israel to improve work-life balance, and we plan to
create employee resource groups to continue improving our initiatives in the
future. In addition, We are making strides to create accountability within our
leadership teams by incorporating training on diversity and inclusion. We are
working towards building a more inclusive and welcoming workplace for all of
our staff of all backgrounds.
By
choosing to question existing biases during Women's History Month and taking
actions to flip the script, we can further contribute to building a more
inclusive landscape for women in the tech industry."
Bonnie Crawford, VP and general manager, Umo Mobility, Cubic
Transportation Systems
"On
this International Women's Day, we celebrate women who are the backbone of the
transportation industry. However, they hold only 15% of the country's
nearly 15 million-person transit workforce, and now is the time for change.
Creating opportunities for women at all levels of the industry is essential, so
they can prosper in their careers just as much as their male counterparts. One
way to do this is for corporations to openly commit to diversity initiatives as
they reinvent and restructure their organizations. To help amplify women's
voices, Cubic has signed the MobilityXX pledge,
dedicated to increasing gender diversity in the transit industry.
Ensuring
that transportation solutions are more inclusive and designed to serve the
women who ride and serve across transit organizations is a key goal of Cubic's
partnership
with McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. Together they have launched the
Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence and Smart Mobility. The Centre
of Excellence will be used to highlight the diversity, equity, and inclusion
issues facing public transportation today and have experts come together to
drive solutions.
It
will be an exciting and productive year for diversity in transit and
technology, and we are looking forward to making a difference together."
Annemie
Vanoosterhout, release and project manager, Datadobi
"While the
sentiment of Women's History Month is by no means limited to one month of the
year, it is important to use this time to reflect on breaking biases. Many of
the struggles women face is the perception of what they can and cannot
do.
For example,
in the technology field, you typically see a lot of women in marketing or HR
roles, a small percentage in product or engineering roles and even fewer in
leadership roles. The reason for this? Both the lack of visibility and effort
on behalf of companies to encourage women to apply for technical and leadership
positions.
At this time
in history, we're at a crossroads. We've made great progress in breaking some
of the stigmas surrounding women in tech, but have a long way to go. I would
like to challenge women and allies to women everywhere to show their support in
a number of ways. Look within yourselves to find what beliefs you may be
carrying that are continuing to contribute to the problems in the workplace
women face. Are you giving the ideas of the women in your office the same
thought to which you give the suggestions from the men? Are you interrupting
the other women in your office and giving them opportunities to speak up? Do
you consider the women just as much for promotions and project leads as you do
the men? Although we like to think the best of ourselves and don't mean to
intentionally harm, evidence may suggest we do not. We all have biases,
innately. Let's break them together."
Celeste Rance, director of engineering at Mailgun by Sinch
"As
tech has a higher barrier to entry for women than many other industries, it is
important for women that have an interest in tech to understand that they are responsible
for growing themselves and to take advantage of the information available to
them. However, at the same time, you must know that mentors and building good
relationships will be crucial to success. First, you need to make a plan for
how to grow yourself and make yourself more valuable to the organization. Think
about where you want to focus for the next few years in your career. Then find
the training, conferences, meetups, or certifications that you need to meet
those goals and ask if your company has a training budget to support your
growth. You will never know if you do not ask.
Secondly,
surround yourself with people that will help you grow and develop new skills.
After you make it through the first few years in this field, chances are that
you will have made several professional relationships that have helped you
grow. In return, it's fair that you help the women next in line grow, too. On
Women's History Month, I advise any women looking to break biases to spend time
building and nurturing meaningful relationships with those near them in their
industries. Whether you are a beginner or a novice, you can seek out and find a
network to help grow yourself and, eventually, grow the community of women in
tech. Don't compete with other women as this is an outdated mentality that is
counterproductive in the workplaces. Ask for help. Learn as much as you can.
Know that when it is your turn, you will look out for opportunities to mentor
and sponsor others."
Krishna Desai, senior global marketing manager at Cubic Transportation Systems
"On
this Women's History Month, we must turn our attention to the public
transportation industry, which has quietly been influenced by widespread
inequality for much of its existence. It's a sector that in many ways is still
stuck in a past when men took the bus or train to work while women stayed home
to tend to their houses and families. Now, women are getting educations,
pursuing careers and using public transportation as much in their daily lives
as anyone else, yet they're dealing with a system not designed for them.
Pricing,
accessibility, and safety are some of the many barriers keeping women from
being as mobile as their male counterparts. The only way to affect change in
the industry is to put women in the driving seat and give them the power to
make a direct impact. Giving women a seat at the table will help transit
agencies better meet the needs of female travelers and ensure they can get to
where they need to go safely and efficiently.
The
future is bright for female leaders in mobility. In Mexico, Miriam Gonzalez
launched GeoChicas to enable women to add critical services often overlooked by
men-childcare, reproductive health clinics, and domestic violence shelters-to
the open source maps that feed into Google and Apple. In the UK, Stagecoach
made Carla Stockton-Jones the first woman to lead a private sector public
transit organization in the country by appointing her as managing director. As
more women take up prominent roles in the industry, it will be exciting to
finally see public transportation that does more for women, by women."
Lucy Zhang, senior digital designer at Plutora
"Women's
History Month is a time to reflect upon the roles and opportunities afforded to
women, both past and present. It provides a chance to celebrate and recognize
what women have accomplished across all ages and cultures and is a great
reminder to continue to support each other!
The
biggest barriers in technology for women are what we believe they can
accomplish and attitudes surrounding that on an educational level. Most people
can agree that the idea that women are better suited for certain types of work
is outdated, but this notion still permeates society and is difficult to tackle
head-on. It's important to support STEM activities designed to get girls
interested in tech at an early age. Female mentorship, role models and leaders
are also crucial for giving women that voice and sense of belonging in the
space.
The
activist Marian Wright Edelman said, ‘You can't be what you can't see.' Women
are self-selecting out of tech due to a lack of role models in the space. We
need access and exposure to tech programmes at an early age, fostering a
community where girls can feel comfortable and empowered to pursue a future in
tech.
When
I started my career, I didn't fully understand the importance of networking and
had a heads-down approach towards working-it was all about producing
deliverables. Of course that's a big part of it, but it's equally important to
have a support network and to be open to having those conversations that may
not immediately lead to tangible results but impact the higher level decisions
and culture of the workplace. Having mentors, seeking advice and delegating
when needed instead of trying to solve all of the problems individually has had
a great impact on my work in the field."
Megan
Campbell, marketing manager, xSuite
North America
"This
Women's History Month, we should take time to reflect and thank the women who
have done the "heavy lifting," so that moving forward, we're able to normalize
women having careers they should have been able to all along. Being a woman in
a male-dominated industry means empowering those who might be hesitant to enter
it in the first place. Like the old saying goes, ‘if not you, then who?'
Most women
have faced gender bias in some capacity throughout their careers. To
#BreaktheBias, I encourage people to speak up when faced with this kind of
adversity. The only way to combat bias-whether conscious or unconscious-is to
educate others and address unacceptable behaviors, whether you are the one
experiencing it, or witnessing it happen to someone else.
Beyond
individual contributions to #BreaktheBias, organizations must be aware of their
company image, too. There should be equal gender and racial representation in
marketing efforts, company spokespeople, and leadership positions. As we move
closer to gender equality, we must understand the necessity for all of us to
play an active part in moving the needle forward."
Rebecca
Murtagh, CMO, Modo
Labs
While
we celebrate the many milestones and gains women continue to make as we observe
Women's History Month, we have to recognize that while 2020 saw the number of
women in business rise, the pandemic shift to remote work drove a setback, with
women's jobs almost twice as
vulnerable as men's. As a veteran of the
tech industry and mother of three, I have certainly felt that pressure.
There's
also reason to be hopeful, as innovations open the door to re-thinking the
workplace. Apps are available today that enable true collaboration and
connection with colleagues, managers and mentors, enabling equity without
requiring proximity. The hard part is going to be in shifting our thinking and
policies to actualize the opportunities these technologies present. I'm proud
to be part of a company and industry that enables that shift, and encouraged by
the energy and openness of many companies across industries to embrace
technology as a catalyst for new ways of working that can help both women and
men.
MarKeith Allen, senior vice president and managing director, Diligent
Mission Driven Organization
"As
an organization focused on empowering the decision makers and leaders of
nonprofit, government, education and healthcare organizations to be the most
effective they can be, honoring Women's History Month is especially timely for us.
As a society, we have just experienced a groundbreaking period of social
reckoning around all aspects of diversity, including gender, economic and
education inequality, which all started well before the pandemic, but now have
been exposed in a much more revealing light, as a result of a global crisis.
As
a company, Diligent has been committed from the start to gender equity,
diversity and inclusion and we are proud to host several initiatives designed
to support women's career paths in marketing, engineering and product
development.
This
Women's History Month, we salute all the amazing women on our team as well as
the many women clients, customers and partners who join us in our mission to
continue to support all who are oppressed, overlooked or treated unequally.
We are all being called
upon to lead in a new, technologically and globally-inclusive world where
issues of inequality are at the forefront - and gender, racial and economic
disparities must all be eradicated. The question is, how can we all lead in our
individual and collective roles to affect these changes? Technology tools may
be the key, helping to level the playing field and empower everyone."
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