The tech industry is now filled with women from different backgrounds, who have value to offer with their amazing skills. From software engineers, to product designers, to quality assurance engineers, you name it! Women are representing. Here are 5 reasons why more women should consider tech jobs and careers:
- More Talents
We need women in tech because we need more people in tech. According to the U.S Bureau of Labour Statistics, employment in computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow 13% from 2020 to 2030, faster than the average for all occupations. Two heads are always better than one, so why not? It is also nice to have a variety of personalities with different interests, working in the same industry to achieve a common goal – to make life easier with technology.
- Balanced Products
Women make up half of the population, so it only makes sense to have more women involved in the conceptualisation of female related tech products. More insight will be needed from the target audience – women – and this ultimately brings the product closer to home. For instance, the Flo App is used by many women for different purposes because it brings them value needed. If more ladies are involved in the updates, changes and added features of the app, it brings the product closer to home and more relatable for its users.
- Breaking the Bias
A lot of stereotypes emanate from tech roles in general because more men tend to be interested in tech and other “hard core” jobs. This may or may not take some time to change, depending on a person’s immediate environment or region.
31 year old Christen Nino De Guzman quit her $150,000 job at TikTok to start an equal pay app called Clara for Creators. She did this because she wanted to give more female influencers an opportunity to set their own rates for influencer marketing, without being shortchanged or underpaid.
In the grand scheme of things, women getting trained and hired into tech roles paints an inclusive picture for the younger generation of ladies who wish to start careers in this path. Companies like She Leads Africa and SheCodeAfrica were founded by Yasmin Belo-Osagie and Ada Nduka Oyom respectively. These ladies are the perfect examples of breaking the bias. I
- More Money!
It is no secret that tech people earn significantly more than their non-tech peers. This is not the fact in every case, but it generally applies to many. Currently, the percentage of men vs. women in tech is 75% to 25% respectively. This gap can be reasonably closed and the percentage of women in tech will increase if more women pursue tech careers.
In terms of the money, if more women venture into tech, they will have more resources to fend for themselves, their loved ones and even contribute to the economic and financial growth & stability of their families and communities in the long run. These skills can even be passed down to younger generations of ladies who can make a difference in their immediate environments with these tech skills. For instance,
- More Balance
More women in the workforce and in tech generally creates a balanced environment for both men and women to thrive. In this way, the future generations will easily integrate into their roles irrespective of their gender, because a positive premise for their success has already been set years before them.
The beautiful thing about gender differences is our innate interests for different things; ideas, topics, daily activities and so much more. Engineering and tech related programs, careers and jobs were mostly dominated by men. However, from as early as 1952, women were already into programming. Women like Mary Coombs were employed to work as a commercial programmer on LEO computers, and Ada Lovelace is often called the first computer programmer.
Now, women are venturing into tech spaces where they can assume job roles that have, in the past, been referred to as “masculine” jobs. This is because generally, women are getting into the workforce and picking up interest in learning a tech skill. We sometimes hear and use the phrase “women in tech” as a form of inclusion, and even for internet jokes.
It is worth noting that Nigerian women and by extension, African women, are now breaking the biases by venturing into tech roles. Our parents may not understand the concept of it, but we do. The world has become digital, there’s a need to keep up with tech trends. If you’re not updated, you will be outdated.
Are you interested in getting into tech? Do you have female friends who are interested in this as well? Click here to get started by signing up for the Next Gen Academy. You can also find more resources here to know more about the program.
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