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Last week a good friend in the VC space came into town and invited me to a tech cocktail hour held by a local incubator. I am rarely able to attend local events in Dallas because I am often on the road due to speaking engagements, but since I was in town, I gladly went. The first thing which struck me as I entered was that I was the only woman in a room of about forty men. Now, a part of me is used to being the only woman at certain industry events, but another part of me is acutely aware that this juxtaposition feels more normal than natural. I found it even funnier when those who didn’t know who I was assumed I was my friend’s date. Clearly, I was just some girl who had been dragged to her boyfriend’s event. Initially, I found it funny but as I dwelled on it further, I realized it says volumes about our society when we assume that any woman at a tech event must be a bystander.
Every year at CES, I look to see how many women I can spot. Most of the women I usually see are working the exhibits – and not because they work for the company, but because they have been hired for their good looks to pass out flyers. I often find myself at client meetings where I am the only woman at the table, or speaking at events where I am the only female speaker. I remember taking a Computer Science class my sophomore year in High School, and being one of three girls in a class of twenty. I remember competing in Business Professionals of America events, and being the only girl on all boy teams. As a teen, I just accepted it as a reality. Now, as I mentor other young women, I realize how important it is to encourage more women to pursue tech and business fields. Here are some ways we can do this.
Start younger. I am not naïve in believing that just encouraging more women to follow these careers is enough. They have to have the skillset to actually succeed, and that means developing a stronger background in math and science. We talk about how fewer women choose engineering majors in college, but by college it is often too late for many of them to strengthen these core areas. A strong foundation in math and science has to start at the elementary level, and not just for girls but for all kids. When I moved to the U.S. as an immigrant from India at the age of nine, I was already three grades ahead of my peers in mathematics. I practically coasted for two years until the curriculum caught up with me.
Add men to the conversation. How to get more women in tech isn’t just a conversation for women. We need to include men in this dialogue too. After all, adding more women to these key fields would benefit everyone in society. Fathers, husbands, brothers, should all have a voice in this conversation because often they do have the power to take proactive steps in correcting this imbalance. Next time your daughter wants to go toy shopping, don’t automatically stop at the doll aisle. Next time your company hosts an event, make it a point to invite more women. Next time a woman shows up at a tech event, don’t assume it’s because she is someone’s girlfriend.
Change reading lists. How many books did you read while in you were in school which featured women engineers or women entrepreneurs? I didn’t either. I remember reading about Elizabeth Blackwell, the first female physician, and for the first time thinking about a career in Science. Books with smart female protagonists aren’t as rare anymore, but try finding a book with a female protagonist as an entrepreneur or programmer. What kids read influences them more than we can imagine.
Companies can make a difference. Often schools and districts don’t have enough funding for key programs, and they rely on corporations to help support them. This support can be absolutely crucial in developing future leaders. The summer after I finished the sixth grade, Sony sponsored a special Science and Technology program in conjunction with Communities in Schools. I was lucky enough to be chosen as a participant, and before that summer I’d never realized how engaging Science could be. We went to museums, conducted experiments, and had a chance to truly see the world in a different light. As an adult, I still think fondly of Sony for having sponsored that event. If more companies would partner with schools, it would make a huge difference.
Media matters. There is a huge gender bias in today’s media. On TV, the ratios of male to female characters has been exactly the same since 1946! In movies, of the characters holding jobs, 81% are male. While movies like Frozen and Brave have been applauded in recent years for showcasing non-traditional roles for “princesses”, they are the anomaly not the rule. I applaud actress Geena Davis’ efforts thru her institute on Gender in Media which strives to create more realistic portrayals of women in media.
I know that getting more women in tech and business won’t happen overnight, but if we, as a society, don’t take some proactive measures, it may never happen. And, that would be to the detriment of all.
Shama Hyder is a business strategist for the digital age, and serves as founder & CEO of The Marketing Zen Group, an award winning full service online marketing firm based in Dallas. She is also the author of The Zen of Social Media Marketing (3rd edition). Connect with Shama on Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn.
