We’ve all heard of Steve Jobs (Apple), Mark Zuckerburg (Facebook) and Jeff Bezos (Amazon), but how many of you can name leading women in tech? According to PwC, only 5% of women hold leadership roles in the tech industry. More worryingly, only 3% of women would choose a career in technology as their first choice.
We challenge you to find women working in tech, because they do exist, and to champion these women as role models for girls and young women who might find a career in tech greatly rewarding. For example, Adele Goldberg’s work on the Smalltalk system inspired Steve Jobs to create the first Apple computer. Susan Wojcicki is CEO of YouTube. Kimberly Bryant is the founder and CEO of Black Girls Code – and there are many more.
Finding female role models in tech
The annual FDM everywoman in Technology Awards is now open for nominations. The aim of these awards is to celebrate the tech industry’s exceptional female talent, whose inspirational work will inspire the next generation of tech stars all over the world.
There are three categories: The Digital Transformation Leader Award, celebrating a female leader who has led the digital transformation of an organisation; The Tech for Good Award, recognising a woman who is driving forward an initiative that uses tech for good; and The CTO/CIO of the Year Award, which will be given to a female Chief Technology Officer, Chief Information Officer or equivalent board level executive who demonstrates outstanding leadership and/or innovation – and the closing date is 12 October 2020.
There’s a lesson here somewhere
Clearly, not everyone is eligible to nominate, or will know anyone who would fit the criteria listed above; but, given the importance of the tech industry and its myriad career opportunities and financial perks, creating a lesson around women in tech would be very beneficial.
We can even start you off with some wonderful women in tech who have worked with Futurum Careers:
Dr Emily Corrigan-Kavanagh, communication design
Dr Elvira Perez Vallejos, digital technology and mental health
Dr Andrea Richa, self-organising particle systems
Another idea is to keep an eye out for the 2021 winners of these FDM everywoman in Technology Awards. The award ceremony will be held on the 25 March 2021.
Let’s start championing women in tech, and showing girls and young women that a career in technology is for them.
