#Asia How CEOs and CTOs can encourage gender equality in tech

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More women will reach their full career potential as soon as more bosses lead by example to show them it’s possible

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It’s a well-documented fact that the tech industry has a serious gender imbalance. Despite efforts to drive young women into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields and establish VC funds for female founders, women still make up just 26 per cent of the computing workforce and 11 per cent of tech executives at privately held venture-backed companies.

This is downright problematic when you consider that women make up the majority of gamers, spend the most time on social media and mobile apps, and make the most in-app purchases. When women aren’t involved in the decision-making process, companies risk missing the crucial female perspective.

Hiring women isn’t just about diversity — it’s good for the bottom line, too. Research shows that gender-diverse teams outperform male-dominated teams in terms of productivity, organisational effectiveness and financial health.

Considering these benefits, why aren’t there more women in tech?

Also Read: Asian women outpacing men in joining billionaire ranks

For one thing, surviving in a fast-paced, male-dominated field as a woman requires a thick skin.

When I started my career in aerospace engineering, I, like many other women, worked with men who were prone to locker room talk and inappropriate jokes.

Unfortunately, innuendo and sexual harassment are still fixtures of the tech industry. In addition to blatant discrimination and harassment, women struggle to overcome the confidence gap, a lack of support from their peers and the challenge of building a career while raising a family.

As CEO of my own company, I now have a bird’s-eye view of how these issues hold women back and what leaders can do to make the road a little smoother for the next generation of female leaders.

Work with female employees to develop confidence

Studies show that men feel comfortable applying for jobs when they only meet 60 per cent of the qualifications, but women won’t apply unless they meet all of them.

Women also tend to underestimate their capabilities — especially when it comes to asking for a promotion. As a leader, you can help your female employees gain confidence by soliciting their opinions in meetings and encouraging them to apply for promotions.

Help female employees create a road map

During my time as CEO, I’ve noticed a stark difference in how men and women communicate their career plans. One male employee I was mentoring came to me with an outline of his career plan and told me where he wanted to go without reservation but I had to press my female employee for details on her long-term plans.

Also Read: 3 important behaviours for women in leadership positions to adopt

If you decide to take a more active role in your employees’ career development, communicate that you want to help them get where they want to go — even if that spot doesn’t exist within your team and might mean losing them to another company in a year or two.

Build networks of “power women”

Recently, I attended a leadership event designed to help nurture and support women in business. Being able to talk to other women directors and CEOs was incredibly valuable for me, and these types of networks can be a game changer for women at all levels.

Support women (and men) with families

In Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, Sheryl Sandberg debunks the myth of ‘having it all’ and emphasises that for women to advance professionally, they need partners who are willing to take on at least half of the household and child-rearing responsibilities.

The best thing any leader can do to help working mums is to encourage all employees to make decisions that are best for their families. Flexible schedules and the option to work remotely won’t just help the mothers on your payroll. These things will help working women everywhere by offering their partners the chance to better support them at home.

Create a child-friendly workplace

In the US, under the ‘Break Time for Nursing Mothers’ law, employers are required to provide a time and a place for hourly workers to express milk.

Many companies now have a specific room for breastfeeding mums, and some companies such as Royal Caribbean International even have a daycare on site. Despite a large number of mothers with young children in the workforce, we still view these things as progressive employee perks or markers of a good company culture when they should be the standard.

Also Read: 8 out of 10 self-made women billionaires are from China: Report

The tech industry is still woefully behind when it comes to gender equality, but there are lots of companies and individuals working to correct the imbalance.

Salesforce is rolling out an aggressive plan to prioritise equal pay and Intel Capital recently created a US$125 million fund for women and minority-led startups.

For the tide to turn in women’s favour, leaders must take an active role in championing women in tech and making their companies a safe, welcoming environment for all employees.

Ania Rodriguez, CEO of Key Lime Interactive.com, has served as a user experience advisor to Fortune 1000 companies around the world for nearly the past two decades on the topics of user interface design, product design, and user research. Known for her focus on actionable results and quality, Ania’s leadership has resulted in double-digit growth over the past five years and the company has emerged to become the leading user experience research firm in the United States.

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organisation comprising the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched BusinessCollective, a free virtual mentorship programme that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.

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