Breaking the bias: How tech companies are opening the door to gender equality

What makes a good leader? Ask Google, and you’ll get thousands of answers – many from history’s great leaders themselves. Among them, Martin Luther King Jr, who once said that ‘a genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a moulder of consensus’; Bill Gates, who believes that the best leaders are those that ‘empower others’; and Queen Elizabeth II, who said a good leader is someone who ‘encourages people to combine their efforts, their talents, and their inspiration to work together’.

But at no point has anyone said, ‘A good leader has to be a man.’ 

So why is there such gender disparity in leadership roles? 

According to the Gender Equity Global Report and Ranking of 2021, currently only one in four board members is female.

Getting more women into senior positions should be a top priority for every organisation. Not only is gender equality a fundamental human right – but countless studies have also shown that companies with greater diversity are significantly more profitable than those without. 

I’m pleased to say that the tech sector is leading the way in shrinking the gender gap. A recent study from Deloitte Global revealed that large technology companies are steadily increasing their female workforce representation – with the fastest growth happening in leadership roles. 

So, let’s pay homage to some of these inspirational leaders – women who are shifting the needle and propelling the kind of future we all want to see.

Anne Sheehan

Anne is General Manager at Microsoft Ireland. An empathetic and caring leader, she’s passionate about building diverse and inclusive teams where everyone feels encouraged to participate.

In a recent interview, Anne outlined her approach to management: ‘I want to foster an environment where learning and being bold, curious, and ambitious are core to achieving our goals,’ she explained. ‘Supporting employee wellbeing is critical to success… because when people thrive, business thrives.’

Now, Anne is leading a Microsoft programme that aims to address digital inequality in Ireland. The company is investing in a fantastic project that helps local girls from disadvantaged areas study STEM subjects. The scheme hopes to ‘shape resilient and future-ready students who have the digital skills to become the next generation of innovators and leaders.’

I’m proud to count Anne as a friend, and much of my work fighting gender inequality in Kenya is inspired by her commitment and tenacity.

Agnes Gathaiya

Agnes Gathaiya is Google’s Country Director for East Africa and is responsible for managing its regional operations. She’s been a big driver in Google’s partnership with the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA) to help female politicians mitigate the impacts of online trolls and cyberbullying.

Agnes played a key part in Google’s drive to introduce new online security measures – enabling legislators to document and manage abuse directed at them through social media. Long-term, the partnership is hoping to combat gender-based violence, empowering women to overcome social and cultural barriers and speak openly about their accomplishments.

‘Google cares deeply about gender equality and diversity,’ Agnes said recently. ‘Through our collaboration with KEWOPA, we are able to create programmes such as Digital Skills for Women aimed at reducing the gender gap in social and economic opportunity.’

This is the latest in a long line of admirable initiatives that Agnes and Google have been involved with to promote gender equality in Africa. Last year, Google donated 2.7 billion Kenyan Shillings (£20 million) in cash grants focused on female economic empowerment across the continent.

Tara McGeehan

As President of CGI UK – one of the largest IT and business consulting firms in the world – Tara leads a workforce of over 6,000 professionals and consultants. She is passionate about encouraging women and girls to enter the technology industry and enabling them to pursue careers in STEM.

‘A common misconception is that there’s only one path to a career in tech – the traditional one,’ she said in a recent interview. ‘Tech companies need to encourage more people, including women, to follow the best path for them.’

‘Companies need to support women to advance their careers, no matter what pathway they have followed,’ she went on. ‘They should encourage women to consider more senior positions by offering opportunities to shadow colleagues so that female employees can find out about what different roles within the business entail.’

I was delighted to see Tara and CGI honoured earlier this year at the Women in Tech 2022 awards for their ‘Shining a spotlight’ campaign. Their work focussed on the stories and achievements of women working at CGI – and led to a 95% increase in female visitors to their website.

I’m delighted to say that these three incredible women are just a few of the tech leaders going above and beyond to close the gender gap in the tech sector. I’m confident that with inspirational individuals like them leading the way, diversity, equity, and inclusion will remain top priorities in our sector.