Girls In Tech

At Girls in Tech we base a lot of our guiding principles on inspiration and motivation. As it is, the organization that has existed for over two years, grown to over 6,000 members and reached over 30 chapters globally, was created by an all-volunteer team – volunteers with the same passion, drive and vision to make the world a better place by encouraging women to take risks, venture through unchartered territory and achieve their dreams.

A wise person by the name of Kobi Yamada once said, “Intense desire not only creates its own possibilities, but its own talents. Don’t be afraid to do something just because it’s impossible.” I believe this to be true. Together we can change the world.

And that is why I’m writing today about the nomination of federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor – the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court. It gives me chills just to think about this. Born from Puerto Rican parents, Sotomayor grew up in the projects of a New York suburb. Defying all odds, she was able to rise above the trials and tribulations she encountered along the way and blossomed into a top-notch jurist with more credentials and experience on the bench than any of the current nine justices. President Obama clearly raved about her capabilities as having ”an understanding of how the world works and how ordinary people live.”

Today, President Obama made a great decision. Through minds and hearts like that of Sotomayor, we will be able to redefine the impossible and inspire girls and women representing any socio-economic bracket, race or religion to reach for the stars.

Tags: Federal Judge, girls in tech, Obama, President Obama, Puerto Rican, Sonia Sotomayor, Sotomayor, Supreme Court, White House, women in tech
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In January, the White House brought the hammer down on salary discrimination – the first law signed by our new president provides workers greater latitude to sue their employers for unequal pay. While the Lilly Ledbetter Law is a step in the right direction, the sad fact is that women still have their back up against the glass ceiling, making 75.3 cents for every dollar their male counterparts earn (US Census Bureau 2003). The new law doesn’t prevent employers from continuing the unequal pay practice, it just makes it easier for those who have been unfairly paid to seek recourse IF they can prove they did not make the same wages as coworkers in the same position with the same responsibilities. Not an easy feat when company salaries are kept hidden under lock and key.

While technology certainly operates differently than most industries, it is, unfortunately, not exempt – a recent survey by Dice.com found that women are paid 12 percent less than male counterparts. The survey also noted that these same women held lower ranking titles and had less education and experience than men. But, let’s face it, the technology field can be a hard nut to crack when you prefer skirts to khakis, and fewer women are seeking employment in the field for a myriad of reasons, pay notwithstanding.

However, President Obama’s signing the law does seem to underscore what we females have been sensing for some time – that 2009 is going to be a big year for women in all industries and especially in technology. The appointment of Carol Bartz set the tone early on, and the talk at conferences and seminars is that women from all sectors are poised to make a big impact within the tech workforce. And not just within established companies or Internet giants like Google and Yahoo, we have experienced the excitement from women working at small start-ups and looking to launch their own businesses – even with the recession, females are excited for what the future holds for them in the field. One woman at a recent Girls in Tech Mixer put it this way, “My bosses and colleagues have always said that gender didn’t matter, but I never felt completely like a real part of the team until I went above and beyond to prove my worth. Now I feel like the gap is closing to the point where the lip service is a reality: gender doesn’t matter.”

Not every woman has experienced gender discrimination in the workplace and not every woman has felt the need to prove they have what it takes to code side-by-side with their male co-workers, but gender inequality is not exclusive to salaries – women are frequently treated differently by male co-workers and supervisors which can affect team building and productivity. Women and men emote, intake and exchange information differently, so working in an industry where men outnumber women almost 5 to 1 can be somewhat daunting for females. This can affect overall output for a company or create unnecessary competition between women in an industry where they feel they are vying for the one “girl” spot.

Many women I talk to relate the same experiences of not being understood by their male counterparts or that their ideas are diminished or devalued. Case in point — at a recent industry event, I was speaking with a woman who was in the process of launching her own company in the Web 2.0 space. This woman has years of diversified experience in product, marketing and development but couldn’t get through a VC meeting without smirking glares, non-verbal indifference to her pitch and inappropriate questions from the other of the table. She came prepared to the meeting with a well thought-out business plan, a real revenue model and an eagerness to get started and received a lethargic response to her monetary request and a high level of doubt from her male counterparts in tech in return.

There are a lot of reasons behind the gender divide in technology, and we women shoulder part of this blame. One of the major reasons is that we don’t provide enough encouragement to young women who are interested in science and math careers to pursue their dreams. This goes back to the inherent differences in men and women – especially in fields where there are not as many prominent role models, young women need to feel empowered and encouraged that their interests will prove fruitful down the road. We need to provide a strong support system for everyone interested in technology, but specifically young women as empowering and mentoring them will positively impact their long-term careers as well as the industry as a whole. A little encouragement goes a long way, and I do believe that in 2009 and beyond, the number of women in technology will increase accordingly.

We still have strides to make to really set an even playing field for men and women in all industries, but having the Equal Pay Act as the first law signed by Obama and his historic administration truly underscores the feeling of the “Year of the Woman” for me. The optimism in the air is palpable, and I am truly looking forward to an exciting year where women continue to increase their exposure to and status within the technology industry.

Tags: Equality, Equality in the Workplace, girls in tech, Lilly Ledbetter, Mel Bolton, President Obama, technology, women in technology
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