K
Kathleen Martin
Guest
Women’s Equality Day offers an annual reminder of the discrepancies that continue to exist between men and women, even in Western nations like the US. The awareness day takes place on August 26, marking the date the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution was passed in 1920, granting full suffrage to women. While it’s clear that women’s rights have improved considerably since that time within the legal frameworks of the US, the reality is that women continue to be significantly underrepresented in many of the top professions and positions of influence in society.
“On Women’s Equality Day, we celebrate women gaining the right to vote, but we can’t lose sight of the fact that gender inequality still exists today. Women in leadership remain underrepresented, and gender biases are prevalent across all industries,” commented Julie Giannini, chief customer officer, Egnyte.
This issue is highlighted to no small degree in the cybersecurity and broader technology sector. An ISC2 study last year found that while almost a third of the global cybersecurity workforce is now female, women receive 21% less pay than their male counterparts on average. Additionally, Eskenzi PR and Marketing research published on International Women’s Day (IWD) 2021 found that just 10% of board positions and 16% of management roles in the industry are held by women.
While various factors may help explain such figures, evidence suggests that workplace cultures and sexist attitudes are a major reason for these inequities. For example, research from the Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec) earlier this year revealed that 48% of women in the cyber industry had been made to feel unwelcome in a “boys only club.” In addition, 47% said they had observed or experienced sexism in the workplace.
Ensuring women have the same opportunities to develop in the sector as their male counterpoints is both morally right and crucial in closing the huge IT skills gap. It is also becoming increasingly recognized that a diverse range of perspectives is required to ensure new ideas and innovation can flourish in this sector.
So what needs to change to ensure that women can compete just as well as men in the cyber and technology industry?
Firstly, women working in the sector should not be reluctant to seek help from others to navigate their careers, according to Michelle Fitzgerald, director of demand gen and events, Plutora.
“My hope for other women in tech is to not only take an active role in your own career but also focus on connecting and building relationships with other women,” she outlined. “Building connections, seeking out a mentor or becoming a mentor yourself are all rewarding ways to continue to grow, learn and lead. We can all benefit from building relationships that challenge us and help us to thrive personally and professionally.
“Since becoming a mother in addition to a working professional, the support of family, friends and colleagues has been instrumental in my success in the workplace. In order to progress and really drive forward issues related to women’s equality, we also have to keep ourselves whole. That means different things to different people; for me, it’s maintaining a good work-life balance. With two demanding kids myself, I’ve found that setting clear boundaries between work, family and personal time have allowed me to minimize stress and maximize productivity.”
Continue reading: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news-features/opportunities-women-tech/
“On Women’s Equality Day, we celebrate women gaining the right to vote, but we can’t lose sight of the fact that gender inequality still exists today. Women in leadership remain underrepresented, and gender biases are prevalent across all industries,” commented Julie Giannini, chief customer officer, Egnyte.
This issue is highlighted to no small degree in the cybersecurity and broader technology sector. An ISC2 study last year found that while almost a third of the global cybersecurity workforce is now female, women receive 21% less pay than their male counterparts on average. Additionally, Eskenzi PR and Marketing research published on International Women’s Day (IWD) 2021 found that just 10% of board positions and 16% of management roles in the industry are held by women.
While various factors may help explain such figures, evidence suggests that workplace cultures and sexist attitudes are a major reason for these inequities. For example, research from the Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec) earlier this year revealed that 48% of women in the cyber industry had been made to feel unwelcome in a “boys only club.” In addition, 47% said they had observed or experienced sexism in the workplace.
Ensuring women have the same opportunities to develop in the sector as their male counterpoints is both morally right and crucial in closing the huge IT skills gap. It is also becoming increasingly recognized that a diverse range of perspectives is required to ensure new ideas and innovation can flourish in this sector.
So what needs to change to ensure that women can compete just as well as men in the cyber and technology industry?
Firstly, women working in the sector should not be reluctant to seek help from others to navigate their careers, according to Michelle Fitzgerald, director of demand gen and events, Plutora.
“My hope for other women in tech is to not only take an active role in your own career but also focus on connecting and building relationships with other women,” she outlined. “Building connections, seeking out a mentor or becoming a mentor yourself are all rewarding ways to continue to grow, learn and lead. We can all benefit from building relationships that challenge us and help us to thrive personally and professionally.
“Since becoming a mother in addition to a working professional, the support of family, friends and colleagues has been instrumental in my success in the workplace. In order to progress and really drive forward issues related to women’s equality, we also have to keep ourselves whole. That means different things to different people; for me, it’s maintaining a good work-life balance. With two demanding kids myself, I’ve found that setting clear boundaries between work, family and personal time have allowed me to minimize stress and maximize productivity.”
Continue reading: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news-features/opportunities-women-tech/
