By: Takalani Netshitenzhe
As we mark International Women’s Month, we need to celebrate the strides made by corporates, government and society to promote gender diversity, equity and inclusion while, at the same time, reflecting on the obstacles that still exist to achieving gender equality in society and in the workplace.
Gender diversity and equality in the workplace is a topic that continues to receive a significant amount of attention. Although some progress has been made towards achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the technology industry remains unequally represented.
In fact, research shows that only 24% of computing positions are held by women. Even more concerning is that women leave the technology industry at a rate 45% higher than men, unsurprising when considering 20% of women over 35 still hold junior positions.
Achieving equality in industries as crucial as tech should be a priority, with diversity being heralded as a key solution to sustainable growth in some sectors.
Statistics around women’s involvement in the tech industry show that there is room for improvement at all levels. The World Economic Forum (WEF) highlights that the percentage of male graduates in ICT stands at 8.2%, compared to just 1.7% for women.
Looking up the career ladder, the same research reveals that female representation in leadership positions within the tech industry was 24% in 2022. Not even start-ups are immune to this skew towards men. In a report by Briter Bridges, only 3% of the total $12.6 billion given to African tech start-ups in funding went to all-female founding teams between 2013 and 2021.
If we are to increase representation, inclusivity and equality, there is a lot of work still to be done – and across many spheres. Gender bias, especially unconscious bias, remains a very real issue, evident in stereotypes such as the belief that men have a natural inclination towards science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.
Other stereotypes include women being offered fewer career opportunities in ICT because of perceptions that they are less capable than men or portraying women as the sole faces of certain campaigns without a gender mix.
The digital gender divide presents just as large an obstacle: according to the World Wide Web Foundation, men are 21% more likely than women to spend time online. Even in instances where girls can access the internet, many don’t have the confidence or skills to engage with digital tools.
How can we overcome these obstacles? As with many other issues relating to inequality and discrimination, we have to start by addressing unconscious bias and societal stereotypes that objectify women.
We need to build the self-confidence of women to say no to such stereotypes; call out these stereotypes when they manifest; and encourage girls from a young age to develop an interest in STEM activities, specialist and leadership roles.
This is critical, as Unicef tells us that only 0.5% of teenage girls consider ICT careers, compared to 5% of boys. There are various tools that, as a society and through partnerships, we can leverage to boost the self-confidence and esteem of young women, such as the national and corporate domestic violence policies, dialogues, and technology, such as the Brightsky SA app that creates awareness on and offers support against harmful societal stereotypes.
We need to foster strong female role models in the corporate world, especially the tech sector, to encourage other girls to follow suit. Women who have broken barriers and are forging successful careers in the ICTs sector can inspire younger women while at the same time recognise and acknowledge that a lot more still needs to be done.
Inclusivity in the workplace must therefore be a priority: companies must be intentional in their efforts to recruit people from diverse pools, offering training and career development opportunities to female staff and providing the resources they may need. This includes offering mentors and selecting team members for projects that reflect a gender mix to avoid perceptions of gender discrimination and unconscious bias.
In the workplace, inclusivity has to be addressed at an organisational policy and leadership level so that issues such as equal pay, representation and work/life balance can be tackled. Several corporates are now leading the journey of diversity, equity and inclusion through dialogues and actively taking a zero-tolerance approach to harassment, discrimination and any form of abuse. However, in doing this, we should not leave men behind, especially the boy-child who needs positive role models to treat the girl child as an equal.
We need more young women not to just come to the corporate world but to stay and grow into leadership and specialist roles, especially in STEM. However, to achieve this, we must break the barriers that make it difficult for women to come in, fit in and prosper – and the only way to do this is by making workspaces a safe and accessible space for girls and then giving them a reason to dream and live their dreams.
*Takalani Netshitenzhe, Executive Director of External Affairs for Vodacom South Africa