Event Report: Addressing Gender Inequality in the Tech Industry
On Saturday, August 1, WomEnpowered International, We Speak Equality, and enjoi Diversity and Innovation Consulting co-hosted “Addressing Gender Inequality in the Tech Industry.”
We invited five panelists who worked in the tech industry to share their experiences of gender inequality and passion for making the industry a more diverse space. Following an inspiring opening remark by Jackie F. Steele, CEO of enjoi D&I Consulting, the panel addressed three questions:
What kind of gender inequality have the panelists experienced?
What factors are causing, enhancing, or reproducing the inequalities?
Why do we need to achieve gender equality in the first place?
Please view our amazing panelists respond to each question and additional questions from the audience.
The panel discussion was followed by a networking session through Zoom “breakout rooms.” Each group consisted of three to four people and allowed the panelists and audience to dive deeper into the topic of gender inequality, share their personal experiences and feelings, and build new friendships.
We concluded the event with introducing key takeaways from the panelists, which are introduced below.
“To the women who are afraid that tech is a ‘mens’ industry- actually the person who's considered the first programmer is a woman and in the past you can find many inspiring women leading the industry and making innovations. So even though now the image of a programmer shifted to being a man I hope that the more woman will join the tech industry the sooner we can change this image back to being more diverse.” - Ania Nakayama
“When you try something new, you carry with you experiences that make your contributions unique and valuable. If you haven’t, take those baby steps to pick up tech skills. It will be more than just an opportunity to grow. It means joining the fray—challenging what it means to be a woman, to be a programmer, and holding the industry to higher standards.”
- Christine Yong
“Don’t stop to look out for all career paths that may be possible and don’t be afraid to take on paths that are unknown. Besides coding, the tech industry offers so many possibilities for female leaders to prove themselves and make tech a better place to work at.” - Milan Ngyuen
"We need to understand the power of men in gender equality. It’s more effective when we have the entire workforce pushing towards making our industry more inclusive." - Shirley Kotian
“If you have a female friend who wants to try out coding, encourage her. If there is a young girl who wants to build her own digital game, tell her she can do it! If your mom tells you that she is not “tech savvy” tell her it’s never too late. Believe in the people around you so they can believe in themselves.” - Tsuyoshi Domoto
Today, our world is going through a rapid and extensive digital transformation, and diversifying the pool of talents in the tech industry is becoming a pressing issue. This event was an opportunity to start a conversation around this issue, and to deliver young voices and requests for leaders and companies to change their directions, in order to create a more diverse, inclusive, and innovative digital space.
We are planning to hold a second event in November, which will address the root causes of and possible solutions to gender inequality in the industry. Stay tuned!