Women in Technology Can Own The Future

We’ve been living through the COVID-19 pandemic for over a year now. And I don’t know about you, but I’m tired. Pandemic fatigue is real. The line between home and work is growing ever more blurry, and I miss seeing my extended family, friends and teams face-to-face. On the bright side, my kids’ schools are open; my wife, who also holds an executive level job, can work from home with the same flexibility as I can at PwC. In many parts of the world, vaccine distribution is picking up, creating hope that this virus will be brought under control.

In our dual career household, we have a six-year old daughter and three-year old son. While I like to think we have a 50-50 partnership in our home, it’s reported in the US that women generally bear the majority of household and caregiving responsibilities, and it’s been sorely exacerbated by the pandemic, facing homeschooling and lack of childcare, all on top of trying to hold down a job.

I can only imagine the pressure and barriers faced by women like Elizabeth Feinler, pioneer of the internet, and Ada Lovelace, the first computer programmer, among many others who unknowingly revolutionized the world with their technical contributions at a time when the profession was predominantly male. That said, according to PwC’s  Women in Technology Index 2020, which assesses the representation of women in the tech sector across the G7, the average female share in tech-related graduates, employment and board positions is below 30%, and the average technology gender pay gap is above the G7 average for all industries, indicating that there is yet progress to be made. 

The reliance on technology throughout this pandemic has accelerated digital transformations and the rate of change is only going to get faster. The tech field was already facing a shortage of qualified cyber specialists, but the mass migration to work-from-home triggered by COVID-19  has created even more demand for qualified people. I’m hopeful that these shortfalls generate even more opportunities for women to pursue and progress in tech careers.

Preparing the next generation of women technologists

As a parent of young kids, I encourage my daughter and son to explore whatever interests them - be it how a tablet works, a video game, a doll or simply digging in the sand at the beach. As they get older and start thinking about higher education and careers, I’ll encourage them to pursue their passions and be whatever they want to be. Unfortunately, conscious and unconscious biases and stereotypes may still be prevalent in certain fields, such as mistakenly discouraging girls from science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers. As technology leaders, we have a role to play here by removing the obstacles that get in the way of attracting, retaining and promoting women. And for the male leaders reading this, we’ve had sponsors and role models in the workplace for years. It’s important to provide the same level of support for our female colleagues and members of our teams. They too, need allies who will develop, promote and champion them as they pursue their career aspirations. 

Ride the wave

More than half of executives in PwC’s Global Digital Trust Insights Survey 2021 say they plan to add full-time cybersecurity personnel over the next year. More than one-fifth of respondents (22%) will increase their staffing by 5% or more. Globally, some 3.5 million cybersecurity jobs are expected to go unfilled in 2021. There’s a very bright future ahead for technology professionals. What can leaders do to help women capture these opportunities? Here are a few ideas:

• Acknowledge family responsibilities and create flexible work schedules, not just temporarily during the pandemic, but forever. This is key to individuals’ success, vital for working women in particular, and something PwC has been doing at PwC for years.
• Is there a gender pay gap in your technology organisation? Surface inequality in compensation and close it. It’s that simple.
• Make a real commitment to not only gender diversity, but to all diversity qualifications,  including race, ethnicity, identity and backgrounds to gain different perspectives, creative thinking and open collaboration.
• Create a culture of belonging. Foster a work environment where everyone can be their authentic selves, pursue their passions and make an impact without sacrificing family responsibilities. 

If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that technology, careers and family life are inextricably linked. As we celebrate the contributions of women throughout Women’s History Month, let’s remember that a gender-diverse workforce and deliberate inclusion efforts help drive better business outcomes and broader economic development of our society. And that is good for everyone.

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