Despite the tech industry's rapid growth and innovation, women continue to face significant barriers to success in the tech space.
So said women in tech that ITWeb spoke to ahead of International Women’s Day on Saturday, 8 March.
International Women's Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It also marks a call to action to accelerate female equality.
“Looking back, I can genuinely say that my tech journey through university came with a noticeable lack of support and representation,” says Shana-Michelle Rabonda, chief operating officer of ALX Africa.
“While completing my university degree in Computer Science, I was one of just six women in my second-year class and the only woman in my final-year class. To add to that, there were no female lecturers in sight in my final year.
“This certainly made my experience feel isolating, as I felt quite different from my peers. I often found myself pondering why my [fellow] female [students] chose different majors, leaving me to question my own path repeatedly,” she adds.
Rabonda notes that women in tech are often seen as the exception and not the norm, which can make the journey feel daunting for many.
To tackle this issue, she believes it is essential to start engaging young girls with science, technology, engineering and mathematics at an early age, making these fields exciting and accessible.
“By creating opportunities and experiences in childhood, we can help girls feel confident and connected within the tech community. These early interactions make technology a natural part of their lives, fostering a sense of belonging that will enable more women in the tech ecosystem.”
Organisations need to be intentional about implementing fair hiring practices and creating work environments that reward individuals based on their performance rather than their identity or appearance, comments Rabonda.
Proactive planning
Sanele Simmons, CEO and founder of Mall for Women, says women in the e-commerce sector also face barriers.
“Women in e-commerce encounter numerous obstacles that hinder our success. These challenges include digital and technical barriers due to lack of formal training, struggling to gain market visibility in a crowded online space, and difficulty accessing funding to grow our businesses.”
Simmons adds that women may be more vulnerable to cyber security risks and fraud, particularly if new to digital business.
While there has been support from both the public and private sectors, Simmons points out that more is needed.
“Some government initiatives exist, but are often difficult to access due to bureaucracy. Private sector programmes, such as accelerator programmes, are valuable, but many are limited to urban centres.”
She highlights the importance of accessibility to funding for women-led e-commerce ventures, training initiatives focused on e-commerce, digital marketing, partnership opportunities between large corporations and women-owned online stores, as well as policy reforms to simplify tax, shipping and regulatory requirements for small online businesses.
The skills shortage is one of the many barriers, as finding experienced developers and e-commerce specialists is a challenge. “Many skilled professionals prefer working with large tech firms rather than start-ups or SMEs.
“To tackle the challenges I face, I've taken a proactive approach. I've invested considerable time in various training and upskilling programmes, focusing on women's entrepreneurship and start-up development.
“Collaboration has been instrumental in driving my business forward. I've forged strategic partnerships with organisations that provide essential e-commerce and tech skills training.”
Puzzling paradox
Julie Noizeux Inder, cyber security specialist at Fortinet, states that the future of cyber security resilience relies on recruiting more women.
Inder understands the challenges that women face when entering traditionally male-dominated fields like cyber security.
She points to a concerning paradox: while cyber criminals have rapidly embraced diverse networks to strengthen their attacks, legitimate cyber security teams still struggle with gender diversity and the skills shortage.
“The cyber security industry stands at a crossroads. The increasing sophistication of cyber threats demands a workforce capable of outpacing adversaries, yet the sector continues to grapple with a persistent and damaging talent shortage. The solution? Expanding the cyber security talent pool by actively recruiting and utilising the skills and insights of more women.”
The global cyber security skills gap generally remains a hugely pressing issue, notes Inder, sharing stats from Fortinet’s 2024 research, which estimates a global shortage of around 4.8 million cyber security professionals.
“Women represent an untapped resource that could help close this gap, but systemic barriers − such as sexism, unconscious bias in hiring, lack of mentorship, and limited publicity or opportunities for female role models − continue to deter them from entering the field.”
“Bridging this divide requires targeted efforts to attract and then retain women in cyber security roles. Companies must take proactive steps to ensure women not only join the industry, but also thrive within it.”
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