As a woman in technology, I have come to appreciate how far things have come and it’s exciting to see my peers out there being trailblazers. At the same time, we still have a long way to go.
I have been so lucky to have co-workers who have been nothing but supportive and have shown nothing but respect. I can’t thank you all enough and I am so happy to work for an organization that I feel valued in.
This years marks my 20th year in technology, and I wish I could say that the challenges for women in technology have lessened, but they still very prevalent. Even this week, I had a comment that someone was impressed that I could unscrew a laptop. Something my male counterparts wouldn’t hear. A few months ago, someone had asked if I setup a switch all by myself. And my favourite – someone asking if my career was a “hobby”. This is not something I hear from my current co-workers, but still something I experience sometimes in the field.
I consider myself lucky that this is the worst stuff I face. I have friends in technology who have been scrutinized and harassed online, being told that they don’t know their stuff, and even death threats. Being harassed at technical conferences – something, sadly, I have had experiences with also in my early days.
I have seen some people I have gone to school with that have switched careers due to the toxic culture. Out of all the STEM fields – technology is having less and less women staying in it.
On this International Women’s Day, I appreciate the cultivation of a culture that I feel accepted and respected in. Let’s hope by with our voices and actions, it will be like that everywhere.