On International Women’s Day in 2021, I decided to share some stories from my own time in technology so far. I wanted to show why diversity in tech and addressing the gender imbalance in tech has to be about more than just single day recruiting drives in college. It’s more than just a pipeline problem, it’s an ongoing problem once women enter the tech workforce, and it is what drives many to ultimately leave tech roles or the tech industry altogether.
If we want to do more than just pay lip service to addressing the current state of employment in tech, we have to look beyond simply hiring, and really work to address the unconscious biases we bring into the meeting rooms. We need people to “choose to challenge” these biases when they see them play out, not just sit silently.
I shared these stories not to discourage others from starting a career in tech, but because I want people to look at these stories and resolve, next time, to speak up.
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