Women in technology still face discrimination

Gender bias in STEM-related subjects and the lack of women have already been properly recorded and reported. It has also been estimated that narrowing the gender gap in STEM would increase GDP per capita in the EU by 0.70.9% in 2030 and by 2.23 .0% in 2050.

A number of complex factors come into play that affect the number of women who choose a STEM career and those who leave it soon after. Prejudice and discrimination against women continues to persist and, according to a recent survey, half of women have been discriminated against in the British tech industry. Studio Graphene, a technology innovation company, conducted an online survey with the help of an independent market research agency, between January 31 and February 5, 2020 from more than 500 British adults. The respondents were all full-time professionals working in the British technology industry.

The survey showed that half of women (49%) have experienced some form of discrimination in the workplace and a fifth (20%) have resigned in the past due to discrimination or harassment in the workplace. job. The majority (60%) of respondents believe that lack of diversity is a problem in the technology sector, although women are more likely than men to have this opinion (66% versus 56%) which is an interesting reflection on how men and women perceive the status quo differently, due to their own status and role both in society and in the organization itself.

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It is also a pipeline problem as there are too few women in leadership positions in the British tech industry. 77% of technical director positions in the UK are held by men. Role models and representation are important, and the lack of women in leadership positions perpetuates the myth that women are not as good at science and math as men. The survey, of course, while considering the lack of diversity focused only on the binary gender gaps and did not take into account other marginalized groups or non-individuals binaries. It is also unclear whether these women and men were part of these communities. However, the results are revealing.

What can we do about it?

The results of the survey also offer solutions. According to survey participants, 58% of women want more flexible work practices that support parents. Prejudice against mothers can and the lack of inclusive work practices and culture can affect women who return to work after having a child.

54% are in favor of anonymizing CVs during the recruitment process to avoid bias. Unconscious biases, even in recruitment, can hinder an organization's attempt to achieve diversity.

A study from Yale University, for example, found that male and female scientists, both trained to be objective, were more likely to hire men, viewing them as more competent than women and pay them $ 4,000 more a year than women. In another randomized, double-blind study, research-intensive university science teachers evaluated the application material of a student who was randomly assigned a male or female name for a position. laboratory director. The male candidate was assessed to be much more competent and recruitable than the (identical) female candidate, offered a higher starting salary and more career mentorship from faculty members. The gender of faculty members did not affect the responses, so women and men were equally likely to be biased against female students. These biases, of course, are not self explanatory as there is no desire to prevent the advancement of women or the recruitment of more women, especially in STEM fields, but rather an indication of implicit gender bias which means that women are assessed as less competent and capable.

The research results are striking as they are indicative of serious systemic and structural problems in the industry, which may deter more women from entering the field. I discuss in detail these different layers of prejudice and prejudice in my book Sway: Unraveling Unconscious Bias published in the UK April 2 and in the United States June 2. These results also show that there are implicit biases that are rooted in a corporate culture and work practices that lead to gender discrimination and the ostracization of women. As we reflect on how close we are to achieving gender parity on International Women's Day, we need to start from a deeper understanding of how our cultures in the workplace can allow discrimination, and how it can affect diversity in an organization.