The ‘tech is a man’s world’ mindset has really aggravated the problem of gender inequality in tech space.
Conversations such as ‘men make the best electricians’, or ‘Nursing is a women’s profession’, or ‘girls are better in technology than girls’, etc. are absurd.
This line of reasoning was widely acceptable several decades ago but not today. The fact that a field is dominated by one gender does not make it an exclusive club.
To be fair, both genders tend to naturally gravitate towards certain careers. That is why you will find that there are more male tech founders than women: More female nurses than male. Or more male presidents than female.
The truth is that women tend to shy away from certain careers.
Event organizers will tell you that they fret over finding women to fill tech-based speaking slots yet they can submit a long list of potential male keynote speakers in the blink of an eye.
These organizers may end up making endless calls to their friends and networks for contact suggestions.
In the end, only a few are readily available. Reason? Something about being hounded to speak at every tech event given there is only a handful of extraordinary women in the tech space.
Merit-driven or structured for male dominance?
To be fair, women should not expect to be appreciated or given the podium just because they are women.
Their idea(s) has to rock and they must have an innovative way of executing it.
Yes, gender inequality in tech exists but we have to get to the point where if your idea is revolutionary, you will get the podium regardless of your gender. Are we there yet? No there yet, but definitely headed there.
At present, the tech space is dominated by men.
There are some reasons that have impelled women to sit on the sidelines of the tech space. This includes the belief that tech is a man’s space. And there is also poor hiring practices that prefer male to female candidates.
The arrow has been targeting the wrong subjects. Men are not to blame for their life-changing ideas in tech.
Could it be possible that the tech conferences that seek to empower women to join the tech world are not doing enough?
Or, could it be that only a few women are interested in pursuing a career in technology?
Or, do some women quit earlier on since the industry requires one to develop a thick skin?
Or, is the rate of acceptance for male job candidates higher than that of female applicants?
Some people have suggested that given the dynamic and demanding nature of careers in tech, some women are unable to overcome the challenge of juggling a career while raising a family.
This is especially the case with moms whose partners are reluctant to take on household and child-rearing responsibilities.
Either way, the bottom line is that if an idea is great and it can change the world, its rate of adoption should not depend on the sex of the person who developed it.
The fight against gender inequality in tech
The tech industry has a serious gender gap. This is in spite of the efforts aimed at encouraging more women to become part of the growing tech community.
This is a sad state of affairs especially since it is a well-documented fact that women make up a majority of users who spend more time on social media platforms and make the majority of in-app purchases.
Tech is the future and since women are major driving forces today, they should be encouraged to explore the tech space.
A female perspective would, without a doubt, benefit tech companies a great deal.
Companies such as eBay, Apple, and Facebook seem to be doing okay with regard to gender equality but they still have a long way to go before the desired equality status is achieved.
These and other tech giants are not doing so great but at least they demonstrate commitment.
In Kenya, only a handful of women are fully immersed in the tech industry while the rest take up leadership roles in leading tech companies.
Some companies have come forward to fight gender inequality in tech. A good example is Salesforce whose aim is to champion equal pay.
Toptal is an international freelance platform that champions for increased gender equality. Another company is Girls who Code.
The desired level of equality is yet to be achieved.
In the meantime, we continue to grapple with the sad state of affairs: the persistent gender inequality in tech and the belief that the tech space is a man’s world.
We would like to hear from you: Do you think the tech space is merit driven? Leave your thoughts in the comments section.
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