Why Gender Representation In Tech Matters

It’s no secret that gender representation in the technology industry is substandard at the best of times. 

Newicon, and other software companies in general, have always been largely male-dominated. Although society has gradually become aware of this issue, little action has actually been done to combat it.

 

Why does representation matter? 

 

The statistics speak for themselves:

• Of the 2.9m people employed in the UK’s tech industry each year, only 17% are women 
• Only 5% of leadership positions in tech are held by women.
• In 2019, 52% of women in tech said they had experienced gender discrimination in the workplace.

 

Shocking, right? Historically, women’s talent and achievements have been ignored by the tech industry, and it’s an issue that’s still prevalent to this day.

When we think about the greatest influential figures of tech we’re all quick to name people like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.

Their names easily roll off our tongues because men are so deeply ingrained in our perception of the tech industry.

But what about Ada Lovelace, Mary Wilkes, Grace Hopper, Annie Easley, Radia Perlman and Martha Lane-Fox CBE?

Each has shaped the industry as we know it but are not as universally recognised as their male colleagues. In fact, a recent report found that 78% of students can’t name a famous female working in technology.

To put it simply, there is not a lack of talented women in the world, but rather a lack of acknowledgement of their achievements.

Role models for people who identify as female or non-binary are harder to find in the mainstream media. With no one to relate to, they feel alienated from pursuing career paths in tech.

It’s a vicious cycle that we should all be working towards breaking. By shining a light on the accomplishments of women, past and present, we can inspire a whole new generation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

 

How is the industry changing?

 

There are already a number of schemes in place to help close the gender gap. It's become increasingly clear that companies that are lacking positive action are behind the times. It's been reported that 83% of British millennials "actively seek out employers with a strong record on diversity, equality and inclusion," 

One thing we’re incredibly proud of is our personal growth this year. Despite the difficulties of COVID-19, we've grown from 16 to 21 employees. We’ve strived to improve the representation within our own business. We’ve worked hard to ensure that Newicon is a safe and supportive environment for all, no matter how they identify; throwing out outdated traditions of "men ruling tech" in the process.

This has been an achievement that we (and the industry) shouldn’t take lightly. Across all our departments, we now have an even ratio of genders within our teams, all of which we’re proud to call Newiconites. We still have work to do, as many of us do in tech, to diversify ourselves further but we’re pleased to be a part of a positive movement.

What's next?

 

It’s the mission of our Newicon Academy to change the tech industry for the better. Which is exactly why we’re working towards supporting those who are often unsupported and underrepresented.

Newicon and the Newicon Academy are doing their part to make a real difference. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be starting a new series of blogs, highlighting the accomplishments of our new Newiconites and their personal experiences in tech.

In the near future, we hope to collaborate on more projects supporting women in STEM at the grassroots level - watch this space!

If you're interested in collaborating on software, web development, UX design or digital marketing projects with us, get in touch today.

What are you doing to close the gender gap in the tech industry?

 

Feel free to share our infographic below.