08.03
Long before Merit Ptah was “the chief physician” in Egypt around 2700-2500 BCE through today, women have had remarkable impacts on science and the world generally. Often these feats came at great costs, from using male pseudonyms to be acknowledged and respected to Hypatia of Alexandria, the first woman mathematician whose work was documented, being violently murdered.
In most parts of the world today, women don’t have to worry about egregious repercussions like death or severe injury as a result of education and work.
However, we still have plenty of work to do.
Research shows women are 50% more likely to leave tech roles before they turn 35, which is 2.5x any other industry, and are leaving at a 45% higher rate than their male colleagues. Despite women making up the majority of the US workforce, women only make up 28% of the tech workforce. Only 16% of female students had a tech career suggested to them compared to 33% of male students. When it comes to compensation in tech, 75% of men think their employer offers equal pay to men and women, while only 42% of women feel that. However, according to data, women in tech earn 17.5% less than men.
We could go on and on about the discrepancies and inequities that still exist for girls and women, but it's easy to feel discouraged, so we'd like to take a moment to highlight progress and share a few thoughts from exceptional women in tech. For the first time in history, according to Fortune, 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women. This can feel like a small accomplishment, only 10%, but it is something that has long been worked for.
This goal is only possible because of exceptional women and their allies. While this group only represents 53 of the exceptional women in tech, there are many more. We'd love to highlight some exceptional women who help drive our organization forward and make a difference every day.
" Take risks! One of my previous EVP's once said to me, “if you are scared or apprehensive of an opportunity, that means you are growing,” and it’s stuck with me as a guiding principle.”
VP Global Client Success Management
“My advice to women pursuing a career in data science or analytics is not to shy away from asking the tough questions. Be the person in the room that isn’t afraid to shine a light on the topic that everyone else wants to skip. Asking those questions fosters healthy discourse and debate and ultimately leads to more interesting and robust teams and products.”
Director of Artificial Intelligence
“It’s important to work past any self-doubt you may have – embrace the fact you belong here. Female mentors can serve as a sounding board for the unique challenges we face as women in technology. And each of these challenges will make you stronger in the end!”
They are incredible, right? While we as a civilization have walked a long road to get to the levels of equality we enjoy today, we are excited and look forward to what the girls and women of the future will accomplish in a more equitable world. We look forward to being an integral part in making that happen and truly embracing equality in the workplace. Will you join us in this cause?