Women Making a Difference in Tech-World By CIOReviewIndia Team

Women Making a Difference in Tech-World

CIOReviewIndia Team | Friday, 06 March 2020, 13:54 IST

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Women Making a Difference in Tech-World

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, let us look at the journey of women and their contribution in building the digital world. While there are initiatives being taken to minimize gender inequality in the workplace, the actual status of women in the tech is still not appreciable. According to KommandoTech’s Women in Tech Statistics for 2020, women hold a mere 20 percent of positions in the world of technology, and the figures are even lower in the leadership positions.  “Nurture an inclusive workplace, where differences are celebrated. Technology today touches every part of our lives. When you think of how to apply technology to solve existing problems or tap new opportunities, you need different perspectives, skills and viewpoints at the table. This can only come from a more diverse workforce, where employees are celebrated in the work environment for how different they are. As a company, at Verizon Media we have 60% diversity in our workforce and believe that is our strength, which helps us innovate more effectively,” remarks Rose Tsou, Head of International and eCommerce, Verizon Media.                     

How A Woman Changed Data Privacy Norms  

Though the percentage of women is considerably low, their contribution to the tech-world seems immense when we examine the way women lead some of the commendable changes to make a difference. For instance, let us have a quick at how a woman named Elizabeth Denham who is the UK Information Commissioner at the Information Commissioner's Office in Cheshire forced the tech-companies to change the way they use our personal data. Data privacy is particularly very important as far as women are considered as they are more likely to be in charge of all financial matters. Also they are oftentimes target of harassment, especially through digital platforms. So, it is women who took the initiative to bring radical changes in the data privacy laws across the globe.  Elizabeth Denham move helped to maximize Britain’s data security. And many counties across the globe are taking initiatives following the footprints of Britain to enhance data privacy of their citizens.    

“Women bring a unique energy and perspective to leadership and therefore it's imperative to focus on inclusion and balance in organizations. The playing field needs to be leveled to enable #EachForEqual. That said, it is heartening to see that there are many more opportunities for us today and women role models are spearheading change in various fields. Each woman who carves a path for other women is transforming our world for better,” opines Shikha Pillai, Head of Strategy, Siemens Healthineers.   Siemens believes that diversity alone has the capability to strengthen the innovative capacity and unleash the full potential of employees and thereby directly contributing to the success.        

“We can see the needle moving in the right direction and workplaces becoming more inclusive. The unconscious biases have reduced, however it is slow and steady progress. It is, therefore, imperative to persevere and never give up on personal sense of self-worth as well as professional achievements,” opines Lakshmi H Shastry, Principal Architect, Technology Advisory & Consulting at Brillio about the current status of women in the workplace today.  

A Long Way to Go

While we celebrate the success of women, we still have a long way to go in terms of realizing gender equality in its truest sense. Let us hope for a society where every human being is valued according to their abilities, irrespective of not just gender but of caste, creed, culture, etc.  We unrest the case! 

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