Gender Equality In Tech

As March and Women’s History Month have come to a close, it is important to address that women are continually underrepresented within the technology industry while being some of the most talented workers in the space. Women remain severely under-represented and continue to leave the industry at alarming rates. In fact, women make up only 25% of all technology workers and the quit rate for women in tech jobs is 41%, or more than twice the rate of male workers. 

Historically, the tech industry has been dominated by men, creating additional barriers for women who want to enter this field. Some of the greatest deterrents include implicit bias, misunderstood motherhood, a lack of mentorship, and income inequality between genders. Women often feel greater pressure to prove their professional worth repeatedly due to these biases and receive greater pressure than their male co-workers. 

Additionally, when women choose to have both a family and a career, their commitment to their work can be wrongly called into question by employers; who may even assume that a female worker will permanently depart. Regarding this issue, there has been some progress on paid parental leave for mothers in the US. The Federal Employee Paid Leave Act, which took effect in October 2020, grants federal employees 12 weeks of paid leave following the birth or placement of a child. However, the US allows for limited paid maternity leave when compared to other countries. Greece allows for 43 weeks of paid maternity leave and the United Kingdom allows for 39 weeks of paid maternity leave.

Even with these multiple barriers, women still show interest in the tech industry. From 1970 to 2019, the percentage of women in STEM has grown from only 8% to 27%. While this does show an increase of representation within the field, women are still vastly in the minority within this space. Women have to jump multiple hurdles in STEM-related careers, and having the advice of a woman who has already “been there, and done that” can vastly improve the ability of women to rise up within their fields and achieve further success. The problem of too few women in STEM fields can self-perpetuate given this stereotype threat. Women are hesitant to enter, and those who have entered, are dealing with the negativities and biases that exist within the industry. 

So what exactly are the right conditions for women? The same conditions under which anyone would thrive: encouragement; hands-on tech discovery in school; the presence of role models in leadership positions; mentorship; fair pay; workplace inclusion; and the flexibility to parents while employed. Although equality in tech will likely continue to be a challenge, these approaches can help to improve the gender gap. Many women are passionate about technology and are extremely successful when provided with the right platform to excel. Technology needs talented people of all kinds now more than ever, and women are more than ready to answer the call.

Here at Digital Factory, we believe in equal opportunity for all people and greatly support women in technology. Our team is made up of some of the most talented women in the field and we are always looking to add eager associates to Digital Factory! Our company culture celebrates diversity of race, gender, and all backgrounds, and highlights individuals’ uniqueness. For more about career opportunities in tech: https://dgtl-factory.com/careers

Check out our past blog highlighting Important Women in Technology!: https://www.dgtl-factory.com/blogs/187-important-woman-in-tech