The video below points out an issue that is far too widespread: when people of all ages think of occupational power, they make assumptions that are far too male-centered. Women are just as capable as men, if not more so, in industries such as science, business, and modern tech. In regards to the tech trade specifically, women do not get the credit they absolutely deserve!
Unfortunately, women who thrive in the tech world oftentimes get shadowed by unjustifiable male dominance, and this isn’t just a modern occurrence.
For example, many people don’t realize that quite possibly the most important physicist, space scientist, and mathematician in early space endeavors was a woman named Katherine Johnson. She was a major contributor to the 1969 Apollo 11 lunar mission and has since helped greatly in Mars landing efforts.
Women in the tech business need to be celebrated, and the sexist nature that exists must be reversed. Their creative minds benefit everyone in tech. The preceding points give credit where credit is certainly due: a mindset men in tech must comprehend.
App Development
With a massive surge in all things mobile, the app industry has skyrocketed in the past decade. When it comes to app development, the gender gap is thankfully diminishing!
Image: Ohio University
This is all explained in an article by Arc titled, The Gender Gap Among App Developers Is Shrinking. It points out the following information about the increasingly balanced percentages of men and women in the app development niche:
“Prior to 1995, the demographic was skewed heavily towards male developers with only 14% of developers being female. This trend continued over the next 19 years with the balance only really changing dramatically in the last year to a ratio of 58% male and 42% female. According to the authors of the report, the increase in gender diversity dovetails with the increase in enrollment in computer science programs by women, but it does underline how male-dominated software development has been up until now.”
In terms of organic app creation, women are paving many avenues. One of the most popular Apple photo apps ever was developed by a woman named Lisa Bettany. Camera+ is her paid app that has been downloaded over 10 million times!
Similarly, Bettany and seven other master app developers for Apple all share a similarity: they are all women. This is proof that more women should be creating apps!
A New Wave of Manufacturing Labor Force
The manufacturing tech industry is another example of a workforce that is unbalanced. Thanks to a program called STEP Ahead, that is all in the midst of changing. The following is stated in the resource titled, Women in Manufacturing Study, Exploring the Gender Gap (PDF):
“Women make up about 47 percent of the labor force, but only 27 percent of the manufacturing workforce. To help improve upon this, The Manufacturing Institute is promoting the role of women in manufacturing through the STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Production) Ahead initiative, which serves to mentor and recognize women while also leading research efforts tackling this important topic.
As part of the STEP Ahead initiative, the Women in Manufacturing STEP Awards honor women leaders and emerging leaders in the manufacturing industry who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory floor to the C-suite. STEP Ahead inspires next generation female leaders to pursue a career in manufacturing and showcases the amazing opportunities the manufacturing industry can offer.”
Marijuana Tech
Perhaps one of the most budding industries for women is one that is entirely new: the legal marijuana industry. There is a tremendous amount of promise for women who want to get involved with this newly decriminalized phenomenon.
The following video from the widely popular web series, Weediquette. In the video, they elaborate on the why the legal cannabis industry is a huge opportunity for women to be on the forefront.
VR Industry
Contemporary VR is prolific. In many ways, Oculus is known as the most important company in the VR space. And at the forefront of Oculus, women are flourishing!
The Head of Strategy Development at Oculus, Anna Sweet, is a paramount figure in the world of VR. She has more experience than most men in this tech niche, but doesn’t quite get the attribution she deserves.
These highlighted women only represent a small fraction of the magnificently diverse spectrum of creative minds in the tech world. Balance is necessary, and the end result will be a more comprehensive environment for women. Women deserve equality in every sense of the word. From workplaces to the tech products themselves, the world needs as much sway from women as possible to positively help move the world forward.