4 TIPS TO ENHANCE WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT IN TECH

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The problems of gender equity in tech are well-recognized. In 2023, the number of women in the big tech workforce (employed by Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, or Microsoft) was only between 29 and 45%, averaging 31%. Although there are many conversations about improving women’s representation and power within the tech world, this is an area that is still seriously lagging. In 2022, women made up almost 50% of employed adults in the US, but held only 28% of mathematical and computing roles. Those figures get worse if you look at racial diversity too, with Asian and Pacific Islander women accounting for just 7% and Black women accounting for 3%, while Hispanic women only held 2% of the roles.

This is coupled with other issues, like clear gender pay discrimination. It’s thought that women in tech often earn around $15,000 less than men in equivalent roles. Some studies suggest that if we don’t make proactive changes, the representation gap may continue until 2120!

Making alterations to the current situation is urgent. It’s been made abundantly clear that women are no less capable of working in STEM roles, but they are consistently underrepresented and sidelined. How, then, can we change the conversation in meaningful ways to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in tech? Let’s find out!

Create women-friendly policies

Perhaps obvious, but many tech workplaces overlook the need to create policies that are supportive of women. Good maternity and paternity policies are particularly obvious benefits to offer, but providing flexible hours can also be a great way to empower women in the work world. This is because women still shoulder the bulk of childcare in many countries, which makes it more difficult for them to stick to a rigid working schedule. While some roles will require 9-5, it’s well worth reviewing whether a position can operate with more flexibility. Providing hybrid or remote working is another important element of this that can make it easier for women to work.

Not all companies will have the means to offer subsidized daycare or other childcare-related benefits, but for those that do, this could be another immensely valuable way to promote gender equality and allow more women to work. It will also benefit men who need to source childcare.

Create a gender-neutral workspace

Often overlooked is the physical working environment. This should be suitable for all genders to use at exactly the same level. For example, creating gender-neutral toilets can be an excellent option, and will serve non-binary individuals as well as women. Gender-specific toilets can cause various issues, while locking cubicles allow everybody to feel comfortable and welcomed in the space.

Other ways to build a gender-neutral workspace involve working to eliminate gender-based language from documentation as much as possible. Again, this benefits everybody by removing assumptions and making spaces open to all. For example, getting rid of “he” in descriptions about how roles should be performed may help.

Companies might consider taking this a step further and working to eliminate gendered language in the everyday workplace too. Although it may seem harmless on the surface, a lot of gendered language is alienating for women. If teams are consistently addressed as “guys,” for example, women may feel devalued and unwelcome. Making sure that language is as gender-neutral as possible is an easy and effective thing companies can do to reduce underlying biases and make spaces feel more welcoming.

Prioritize pay

Pay is probably one of the most important elements of work for most people, and as we’ve already seen, it’s one where women are suffering. To add to that, it’s thought that about 91% of tech companies pay their male employees better than their female employees. Tech companies should perform regular salary audits to ensure that men and women aren’t being paid unequal amounts for equal work. This can have a big impact on a woman’s morale and may encourage her to seek employment elsewhere.  When doing these audits, it’s also crucial to look at areas such as ethnicity to ensure that Asian women aren’t being paid less than European women, for example.

Addressing pay gaps can be complicated but represents a very real and meaningful way in which companies can empower women who are already in tech, and encourage more women to join the sector. Look for bias in your hiring and promotion processes, working with an external company if you’re struggling to identify issues. Once you’ve found the problems, start looking for ways to equalize pay and bring more women into senior roles!

Reduce hiring bias

Although it can be difficult to totally eliminate bias in hiring practices, doing so is probably the number one way for companies to start eradicating the gap and bringing more women into the tech world. There are multiple things that you can do to increase diversity and equity in your hiring process!

Firstly, anonymize applications when they come in. Removing names will reduce your sense of a candidate’s gender, which can help to negate some early-stage biases. You’ll likely find you end up with a wider pool.

Secondly, create a diverse hiring committee. You’re far less likely to be able to act on your biases if you’ve got people who are different from you in the room. Others are also more likely to notice the bias and call it out.

Thirdly, specifically think about how your biases might be appearing. We all have these immediate reactions, so it’s okay to acknowledge them and recognize them for what they are! Once you have done this, you can start working to specifically counter them. After all, you can’t work against something if you don’t know that it exists.

Finally, focus on skills, rather than vague feelings about which candidate is right for the job. Often, when you’ve got a “good feeling” about somebody, it’s because you’re responding to similarities you see between them and you. This tends to contribute to a homogenous culture.

Make efforts to regularly review your hiring process and check you’re happy with how it’s going. Pay attention to how diverse your new hires are, and you will hopefully start to see a positive difference!

Driving change for a more inclusive tech industry

Those are the four actionable strategies for companies interested in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment to use, and if you implement them successfully, you’ll be part of a key change that brings more females and non-binary individuals into the world of tech. Diverse teams have been shown to perform better, with better decision-making capabilities and more effective problem-solving being just two key aspects. Tech companies therefore have a vested interest in making the sector more female-friendly in meaningful ways!

Time to get hands-on!

Host a specialized hackathon aimed at tackling challenges faced by women in technology. This event can unite women from diverse backgrounds and expertise to collaboratively develop innovative solutions addressing gender disparities in the tech industry. Teams can work on projects like building mentorship apps, creating networking platforms for women in tech, or designing tools to improve workplace flexibility and inclusivity.