Addressing the need for a greater female representation in tech
Nashville, Tennessee (March 16, 2023) - As we celebrate Women’s History Month, it is important to not only celebrate the positive impacts we, as women, have on society, but also to acknowledge the discrimination, underrepresentation, and inequity we continue to endure in many aspects of our lives. We need to make our voices heard, especially in traditionally male-dominated workplaces.
Over the years, women have made big strides in becoming more prolific in today’s technology world. But in both large and small tech companies, there is still a long way to go toward closing the gender gap between men and women.
Yes, there is a solid number of female tech entrepreneurs out there today. Some great examples are: Kimberly Bryant, the founder of Black Girls Code; Amy Hood, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Microsoft; and Gwynne Shotwell, the President and Chief Operating Officer of SpaceX.
But there is still a need for more female representation in the tech and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) industries. According to Zippia, as of 2022, women make up only 28% of the tech industry workforce, but represent up to 47% of the entire U.S. workforce.
To make things clearer about women’s role in tech, check out these other alarming statistics from Zippia:
- Women make up only 34.4% of the workforce of the U.S.’s largest tech companies (Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft).
- Women account for only 18% of the CIO and CTO roles in 1,000 of the largest U.S. tech companies.
- Women hold less than 20% of leadership positions in the tech industry.
- 40 telling women in technology statistics (2023): Computer science gender ratio
- International Telecommunications Union
As you can see, this needs to change! Here are two important reasons why we need more women in tech today.
Diversity in thought
Women also know what other women want out of technology. Their ideas and creativity can create positive momentum for either a tech company or product. So, if a tech company is intentional about hiring more women, it has a much greater chance of driving innovation and, ultimately, success.
Women have a different perspective than men when it comes to technology. Unfortunately, they are often not taken seriously, even though they make up half of the world's tech users, according to the International Telecommunication Union.
More role models and mentors
Increasing the number of women in tech can create mentorship opportunities to inspire and attract more young girls to join this field. As of 2022, 74% of girls expressed a desire for a STEM career, which is a big jump from the 28% of women who work in that field today.
Seeing women compete alongside men will inspire young girls to keep going and be persistent about what they want out of their future tech careers. If there are more female mentors in tech leadership roles, it will motivate our younger generation to be even more creative. Tech is a fast-evolving industry, and today’s aspiring female STEM students could have the next big idea that will change the world.
All of this goes to show that even though women have been underrepresented in the technology and STEM industries, there is still room for that to change. By providing female mentorship and encouraging diversity, the tech world could be changed for the better thanks to a stronger female presence.
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About the Author: Lily McCoy is the Connected Nation Communications and Social Media Specialist. Lily provides support to the Communications Department through social media outreach and writing. She also adds a source of creativity to the team with a background in personal relations and marketing. Lily has a bachelors in corporate and organizational communications from Western Kentucky University.