In terms of numbers, men dominate the tech field, yet there is a small but powerful group of women propelling the industry. Take Reshma Saujani, a New York Times best-selling author and the creator of the renowned TED Talk, “Teach girls bravery, not perfection.” To encourage more girls to learn about computer science, she founded the nonprofit organization Girls Who Code.
What about Elisabeth Hendrickson? Author of the book “Explore It! Reduce Risk and Increase Confidence with Exploratory Testing” and founder of Curious Duck Digital Laboratory, a startup focused on creating games and simulations that teach basic concepts of effective software development and delivery.
Women are taking on more key roles in the technology sector. In addition to running some of the largest IT firms around the world, this group of innovators and achievers—which includes CEOs, founders, and people in technical roles—reminds us why gender diversity is critical to the ongoing success of the tech industry.
As times change, women are getting more jobs this sector, but they are still underrepresented. According to Statista Research & Analysis, “an average of only one in every four GAFAM (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft) is a woman.” Given the challenges of the tech gender problem, tech companies may need to work even harder in the future to improve these statistics.
The good news is that leaders across industries recognize that a diverse workforce is positive for business. Since women account for fifty percent of consumer expenditure, designing products with women in mind is innovative. As more women rise to leadership positions, it encourages young women in technology to apply for roles with a genuine chance of growth. More women are inspiring, empowering, and encouraging others, particularly women and girls, to seek jobs in the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
Young people who are considering a career in technology, as well as professionals contemplating a career change, can all benefit from having role models with backgrounds and experiences similar to their own at the highest ranks of an organization.
In Tekton, the participation of women has brought balance and speed up innovation. These remarkable women are driving the future we envision.
Meet part of our Tekton team.