Breaking down the gender bias

According to TrustRadius, 72% of women in technology report being outnumbered by men in business meetings by at least 2:1, and 26 percent by 5:1. According to the same report, most women in technology (78%) feel they have to work harder than male counterparts to prove their worth.

You don’t need statistics to demonstrate a lopsided gender ratio at workplace – particularly in technology. Look around – how many women do we see in tech roles around us? The imbalance is part of the reason why women in engineering continue to face bias at the workplace.

Biases get planted early and from a very young age. At a conscious level, these biases can be addressed once acknowledged. The question is how to treat unconscious bias – the ones you are not aware of?

At Eka, 40% of the C-suite comprises women and this includes our Chief Technology Officer, Mumu Pande and Chief Sustainability Officer, Shuchi Nijhawan. We believe gender should not have any role to play in one’s career choices.

To that end, this International Women’s Day, we would like to take this opportunity to spread more awareness on this topic – which will hopefully address some of the unconscious bias out there about women in technology.

We spoke to a few Eka Minds to share their thoughts on the bias, here’s what they had to say –

Being able to demonstrate a meaningful influence is what I enjoy most about my profession. As a lead engineer, I know how important it is to properly connect to the overall problem-solving arena. In my personal view, “each for equal” means a culture of respect and understanding, where each person is heard and rewarded based on merit, not gender. If we are going to make the world more equal, it will need each of us to work together.

I’ve grown at Eka thanks to two key factors: role models and support of an equal partner. Women in Eka are incredibly powerful because we have role models in every department. At every level, we are heard, have equal access, and are respected. Even more importantly, it serves as a reminder of the importance of putting passion into everything we do.

The ride has been easier for me to prioritize my career because in my family we share responsibilities equitably. When I am busy closing pre-sales agreements with a newborn in my arms, my husband is also working long hours and cooking dinner.

Women are leading from the front and championing our presales teams at Eka. This allows us to better compete in the market of the future. Rethinking everything from job descriptions and onboarding to career paths is necessary to increase the number of women in technology jobs and erase any lingering unconscious biases that may exist.

As a fresher at Eka, my managers and leaders taught me the importance of trust, which involves both supporting and relying on one another. There were times when I thought I will need to take a break but my managers and women I look up to at Eka asked me to stay focused and take a pause. I was welcomed back with open arms and was assured of their faith in my ability to handle the next step in my development. You can be confident in your abilities if your manager trusts you. With your education, training, and prior experience, you are well-equipped to take on any challenge.

Nobody wants to think that they are biased, but we all are in some way or the other, and once we start acknowledging that, then we can do something about it. Representation is the first step toward creating an inclusive and equal workplace where everyone can do their best job. Even as our society is becoming increasingly defined by technology, it is imperative that the tech industry begin to cultivate and elevate more female role models who can inspire the next generation of young women to follow in their footsteps.

We live in exciting times. Women have shifted from the “if I can” mindset. There is now greater focus on “how I can” make a difference. And it happened because we have started acknowledging that we are no less and we show, daily, that we are bringing new ideas to the table. Putting oneself out there is something that women should not be hesitant about. When we are conscious and speak up for our rights, we are helping tear down prejudice a bit by bit. Rather than seeing obstacles as roadblocks, we must learn to perceive difficulties as opportunities for growth.

Women should purposefully pursue leadership opportunities. They should take the initiative to position themselves as a leader and demonstrate their abilities. Step up and volunteer for the hard assignments. Get noticed by demonstrating skills and knowledge that’s in all likelihood missing. Women can also be strong allies at work for other women to better understand the challenges women face in the workplace. As an organization, we need to enable their path not just back to work, but also towards leadership and help break the notion that ‘women can’t have it all’. Becoming aware of and acting against our own biases will help us all in the long run.

These perspectives from Eka Minds are not new, yet they serve as a nice reminder of the objective of International Women’s Day – it’s not for happy shopping discounts, but to use this opportunity to drive more conversations and make more people aware.