PLANET | DIVERSITY
Why female technologists are important for society and business While Brenda acknowledges that the tech industry has made strides in changing some policies and practices , the fact remains that most technology is still created by cisgender white males .
That must change , both for society and for business , she argues . The lack of gender inclusion in tech is good for neither women nor the world , particularly in areas where women and non-binary people ’ s basic freedom and dignity are threatened , while the addition of women at all levels of tech has both positive social and economic impact .
“ As developers of software and products that heavily impact society in our growing digital world , we cannot effectively address systemic , unjust issues if the creators themselves cannot pinpoint the root of the problems . We push for more women and non-binary leaders , not because we think one group is better than the other , but because it brings varying views and skills into the process and will accurately reflect the multitude of experiences in the world .”
She says products that don ’ t consider the needs of over half of the population will be products that are not as effective as they should be and in many cases , will be harmful to those portions of the population .
Not to mention , women in tech is good for business . Brenda says investors miss out on a lot of profit by not hiring or investing in women . Though women tend to get less than half the investments men do , women founders tend to return 78 cents for every dollar invested to men ’ s 31 cents , according to a BCG 2018 study .
While the social and economic argument for more women in tech is evident and urgent , the facts are depressing , not just in the hard numbers but marked decline .
70 November 2022