WHILE WOMEN AND girls in tech mean huge advancements for diversity in the tech industry, there’s still a significant challenge to tackle: including trans and nonbinary people in IT. Initiatives like Girls Who Code, Women Who Code and Women in Technology International are much more than well-meaning: They are necessary organizations for including more women in technical roles. It’s now well-known that education and inclusion of women in leadership roles mean better business. Women overall increase retention rates, are better at problem-solving and tend to be more loyal to the companies they work for.
Statistics by Deloitte show that progress is slow for women in the workforce but even slower for women in tech. While 32.9 percent of women are part of the overall workforce, only 25 percent are working in tech. The leading faces of Fortune 500 companies are also male (think Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk).
However, there is a statistical gap between what is researched regarding women in IT and what is really going on, as most companies don’t report on specific factors like pay, life-work balance, and physical and mental well-being. There is not-so-measurable invisibility to be addressed here: the “women in tech” gap versus the “gender gap.” For gender nonconforming individuals, reports are even scarcer.
Who ‘Women in Tech’ Initiatives Leave Out of the Picture
Wired has written one of the few pieces regarding gender nonconforming individuals in tech roles. Statistics Canada produced one of the few reports regarding gender nonconforming individuals, building upon previous research done in 2016 in the United States. It’s easy to agree that “without data on this population, it is difficult for governments, service providers and other institutions to develop programs and policies that address the concerns and needs of this community. Statistical information on the transgender community is needed to develop inclusive policies, programs, and laws at the federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal levels in many areas […].”
Continue reading: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture-council/articles/is-there-enough-diversity-women-in-tech-initiatives-1234591967/
Statistics by Deloitte show that progress is slow for women in the workforce but even slower for women in tech. While 32.9 percent of women are part of the overall workforce, only 25 percent are working in tech. The leading faces of Fortune 500 companies are also male (think Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk).
However, there is a statistical gap between what is researched regarding women in IT and what is really going on, as most companies don’t report on specific factors like pay, life-work balance, and physical and mental well-being. There is not-so-measurable invisibility to be addressed here: the “women in tech” gap versus the “gender gap.” For gender nonconforming individuals, reports are even scarcer.
Who ‘Women in Tech’ Initiatives Leave Out of the Picture
Wired has written one of the few pieces regarding gender nonconforming individuals in tech roles. Statistics Canada produced one of the few reports regarding gender nonconforming individuals, building upon previous research done in 2016 in the United States. It’s easy to agree that “without data on this population, it is difficult for governments, service providers and other institutions to develop programs and policies that address the concerns and needs of this community. Statistical information on the transgender community is needed to develop inclusive policies, programs, and laws at the federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal levels in many areas […].”
Continue reading: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture-council/articles/is-there-enough-diversity-women-in-tech-initiatives-1234591967/
