It's time to take a more practical approach to gender diversity.

The representation of women in technology roles shouldn't be an issue nowadays, but it continues to be an issue of discussion. However, there is relief that the increasing pace of technological change partly drives this sweeping action. Companies that have embraced diversity are better at change, not tilting to any specialisation, identifying opportunities, and adapting, and companies that did not are afflicted.

Education plays a part in this problem. A study by UNESCO called Cracking the Code: Girls' and Women's STEM Education shows that women constitute only 35% of all STEM students in higher education. It has many causes, ranging from stereotypes about the girl subjects to the lack of adequate encouragement from the teachers to get the girls into ST.

As a result of this under-representation, fewer women are in technology roles. Today, women represent 29% of the technology sector. Data from AnitaB. Org indicates that it will take women roughly 12 more years to reach equal technological opportunities. We can not afford to wait that long.

Formerly, many women were put off from applying for positions due to the absence of role models, lack of commitment to transparency, and scant commitment to recruitment and retention issues. Also, many fewer women than men reach the top leadership positions in professional activities. According to the research conducted by Accenture and Girls Who Code in 2020, the two most often cited external factors influencing the under-representation of women in technology are lack of mentorship (48% of respondents) and the absence of women in the industry as role models (42%).

Making a positive social impact

A clear and coherent global workforce strategy should be adopted to solve the problems above. The respective society, which includes government and education, must also do its part. For instance, the government can begin by motivating education institutions to advocate for girls from an early stage to aim high and provide them with the appropriate education and tools that do not restrain their ambitions. It can also motivate educational institutions to do more to eradicate stupid stereotypes that still promote the idea that technology subjects are suitably designed for males.

Although the maintenance of educators who promote technology-related subjects to girls will pay off over time, it will take many years to bring the results about, which is why education alone is not the answer. Throughout women appearing in higher levels of the organisation and culture toward gender diversity changing, this 'cushion' during non-technology management will surface again. It is apparent in the future that the increase in gender diversity within technology management needs to be treated as an immediate concern, as well as the need for all tech companies to recruit women with new skill sets from other industries into technological roles.

What businesses can do?

Besides what governments can do to enhance gender diversity, there is so much more that technology companies must assume. Most companies have no shortage of resources, particularly human resources, and as such, are in a position to begin addressing gender diversity when deploying their day-to-day activities. It includes return-to-work programs that retrain women with career breaks by making the return path straightforward, easy, and visible, and hence, probably more women at the senior management level.

HR leaders are very central to spearheading change. Even though HR should be ready for change, it is proven to be critical in facilitating such change. HR influences the manager regarding manager training in the areas of good goal setting, performance management, annual reviews, and many other factors, which ensure that the issue of gender diversity policy is taken into consideration everywhere throughout the organisation. The line managers need to be trained on these open conversations with FEMALE subordinates and asking such questions, for example, opportunities lost due to the feeling of being discriminated against and other assistance hindered provision. Here, too, are unasked questions that lead to consideration of issues that would have otherwise been laughed off.

For this reason, it is primarily the role of HR and the company to ensure clarity of communication, more so during the recruitment stage. The candidates ought to appreciate the extent of the company's support regarding flexibility, for example, in maternity policies and the attitude towards hybrid working. Job descriptions suggest that full-time HR departments that work five days a week for 37.5 hours cannot be sustained. Remember, if they do not want to dissuade some of the impressed female prospects, they ought to be open to offering either half days or shorter weeks. Many bright, young women leave the technology world today when they start to have children.

These all enable women to take such a step and speak up in technology businesses and impact change that needs to be made. Of course, part of that is formal or informal mentoring. Every woman who has reached a certain level within a technology organisation must become an educator, transferring the skills and competencies she has acquired to others.

A joint responsibility

As noble and ideal as pursuing gender diversity, its ultimate goal is hard to realise. Making advancements in any direction will require efforts from society, starting from education to the government and to business. In a very simplistic view, organisations do not exist in isolation. However, a lot within the organisation, under its HR leadership, can be done to promote how diversity works, from dispelling myths to embracing flexible and dual working styles.