Women in Technology - Can We Really Move the Needle?

The short answer is yes, women can, will, and are moving the needle. While there are many to be found, you don’t need statistics to support the lack of women, and diversity, in technology. Simply look around your office. Are there women working around you? How many hold executive-level and C-suite positions? Chances are that it’s not too many.

But for those who do hold those positions, and for those who strive to, don’t view this as trying to obtain the impossible. The tides truly are turning, and women can move the needle in technology. Change is happening, albeit slowly.

Social change, itself, can be described as either dramatic or incremental. As much as we would like to change the number and influence of women in technology rapidly, this is an instance of incremental social change. One characteristic of incremental social change occurring is the transformation of normative structure - how things “should” be, their value, good vs bad, right vs wrong. The norm is being challenged and action is being taken to change the norm.  

It is discouraging to hear that students today are facing the same challenges that women in technology faced in the 80s. However, the difference today is that conversations around diversity and the gender gap are happening more frequently and with much more vigor. More organizations, including tech companies, are being forced into the spotlight and being held accountable. Some companies are already taking aggressive measures. In 2017, Salesforce took steps to rectify the gender pay gap among its employees. I am proud to say that my company, Revature, primarily made up of software engineers, is gender pay neutral.  

The rise of organizations focused on encouraging women to pursue STEM has skyrocketed in recent years. Women in leadership positions, such as Melinda Gates and Sheryl Sandberg, have taken a stance and are doing everything they can to address and change what has been the norm in technology for too long.  

Set an example for future generations. Encourage both your sons and your daughters. Instead of simply playing games on an iPad, challenge them to think about how the game was made - the code, design, user experience, etc. In general, encourage everyone to have an interest in technology related activities. 

While there are currently many efforts in full swing to encourage women to pursue careers in technology, it may yet be another generation before the needle moves as dramatically as we’re striving for. It’s the little girls just now learning to walk and exploring the world around them that will really move the needle, as they ascend the ranks and become technology’s next power players, in a world where the normative structure isn’t what it is today.