Until recently, the tech industry was one big boys club. Gender bias, right from recruitment to employment terms ensured that few women thrived in the sector and even fewer rose up the rank to the coveted C-suite.
But now companies are employing several strategies to boost their appeal to women and reap the benefits of a diverse workplace. And it appears to be paying off.
A survey done by audit, consulting, tax, and advisory firm Deloitte showed that women's share in the overall global tech workforce increased by 6.9 percent between 2019 and 2022 while their share in technical positions grew by 11.7 percent.
But it is at the top level where big changes are taking place, promising to make the industry more inclusive.
Catherine Muraga, the managing director (MD) of Microsoft Africa Development Centre is among the women correcting the industry’s gender imbalance. Her love for tech, she says, started from a young age.
“Curiosity played a big role when I was young, wondering about gadgets and systems and what made them work – from a simple watch on my hand to household equipment,” she says.
She knew her life was technology and technology was her life. She enrolled for a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. After finishing her studies, she started a career as a network engineer for an internet service provider (ISP) in 2003.
She says that working for ISP Kenya jump-started her entry into a bigger tech space, opening opportunities in Kenya’s leading firms such as Kenya Airways, Stanbic Bank Kenya, and Sidian Bank in different senior information technology positions.
Her tenacity paid off in April 2022, when Microsoft Africa Development Centre, which is Microsoft’s engineering hub in Nairobi that nurtures local innovations and solutions, named her the new MD. “Now that I have access to resources and capacity to drive change, I aim to continue guiding growth and mentorship in the technology space,” she tells the Business Daily.
Continue reading: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/corporate/technology/women-breaking-into-boys-club-and-thriving-in-tech-3898320
But now companies are employing several strategies to boost their appeal to women and reap the benefits of a diverse workplace. And it appears to be paying off.
A survey done by audit, consulting, tax, and advisory firm Deloitte showed that women's share in the overall global tech workforce increased by 6.9 percent between 2019 and 2022 while their share in technical positions grew by 11.7 percent.
But it is at the top level where big changes are taking place, promising to make the industry more inclusive.
Catherine Muraga, the managing director (MD) of Microsoft Africa Development Centre is among the women correcting the industry’s gender imbalance. Her love for tech, she says, started from a young age.
“Curiosity played a big role when I was young, wondering about gadgets and systems and what made them work – from a simple watch on my hand to household equipment,” she says.
She knew her life was technology and technology was her life. She enrolled for a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. After finishing her studies, she started a career as a network engineer for an internet service provider (ISP) in 2003.
She says that working for ISP Kenya jump-started her entry into a bigger tech space, opening opportunities in Kenya’s leading firms such as Kenya Airways, Stanbic Bank Kenya, and Sidian Bank in different senior information technology positions.
Her tenacity paid off in April 2022, when Microsoft Africa Development Centre, which is Microsoft’s engineering hub in Nairobi that nurtures local innovations and solutions, named her the new MD. “Now that I have access to resources and capacity to drive change, I aim to continue guiding growth and mentorship in the technology space,” she tells the Business Daily.
Continue reading: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/corporate/technology/women-breaking-into-boys-club-and-thriving-in-tech-3898320
