What's the future of technology without gender inclusion?

Women have had historical struggles that continue to this day, such as wage inequality and less access to jobs. We are still not 100% sure where future technologies will take us, but we know that they have different biases (gender, race, age and others) that can provoke a lot more inclusion issues in the future.

I recently watched a great talk by Regina Magalhães, about inclusion in technology and the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the lives of women.

A report written by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) shows that new technologies, such as AI, Automation and Robotics are bound to make jobs obsolete and cause different disruptions in the job market.

Gender disparities make this even harder for women. In the world, 180 million jobs - done mainly by women - will disappear. This is because women tend to occupy tasks that are more likely to be automated in the future, such as retail trade, food and beverage services. If women are able to transition professionally they could maintain their current share of employment. If not, gender inequality in work could worsen.

Women are under represented in most industries. When it comes to finance, for instance, women are present in less then 2% of jobs leading financial institutions and take up less than 20% of seats in boards. When it comes to technology, around 20 percent of tech workers are female the the United States.

Eliminating gender disparities is ESSENTIAL for the future of inclusion and technology.

A Spanish study analyzing gender diversity in research and development from 4,277 companies found that companies with more women generated certain dynamics that lead to radical innovation.

But how can we do that?

• There must be policies that allow for gender equality and more access, especially in developing countries. Globally, men are 33% more likely than women to have access to the internet; that gap worsens in poor communities. In addition to that, today 200 million fewer women than men own a mobile phone:

• If minorities are not a part of the groups building these technologies, inclusion issues will probably not make it to the software in order to solve biases. Diversity is the only way to address concerns about inbuilt biases in algorithms.
• Increase diversity in technology: Google CEO Sundar Pichai has explained, “A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.”
• Working against stereotypes and disparities in education. Women and girls account for only 35% of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) students.
• Ensure that ALL users feel represented in products - including, for instance, facial recognition.

Finally, there needs to be intersectionality in building change. Intersectionality describes interactions between multiple identities and dynamics of power: racism, sexism, and oppression (Hill Collins and Bilge 2016; Crenshaw, 1991). 

Beyond gender issues, WOC face other challenges. Of the 24% women in tech in the USA, Asian women make up just 5%; black women 3%; and Hispanic women account for 1%. When it comes to the pay gap, black women in STEM earn around 87% of white women’s salaries and just 62% of men's.

Companies must praise women doing good work in technology. More women must be brought into interviews in order to ensure diversity in the future. With more women hired for entry-level positions, more women can also then be considered for promotions. Furthermore, companies should hire objectively based on traits that can bring future potential to the company, not only past experiences.

By developing and disseminating policies in order to decrease barriers and bring solutions to life, we increase the participation of women (including women of color!) in STEM and shield them from future job loss.