The importance of female role models in the tech industry

In light of the International Women's Day, I want to share some personal views from my own journey as a woman in tech. The past few years, I've gained quite a few insights into what it means to be working in tech. And one of the most important insight I've gathered is undeniable the influence of diverse role models. As a newcomer, I wasn't as tuned into this importance as much, but after a few years in this field, refining my technical skills and understanding the industry's in more detail, I begin to see the larger picture of this topic.

How I got into tech

Looking back, I was always into math, logic and computers. Although I loved experimenting with computers and doing things online since I was a teenager, the prospect of studying informatics didn't ever occur to me. I didn't know anyone who worked in this field, my family and school didn't encourage me to go in this direction and so, right after high school, it didn't really know what to study. I thought about teaching or math, but then decided for spatial city planning at the technical university in Vienna. After a year I couldn't fully identify with the future job field, so I went back, reconsidered and then made a big shift by moving into the middle of nowhere in Upper Austria to study media informatics.

Learning to code was an amazing surprise — it just seemed to click with my way of thinking and how I loved any kind of puzzle in high school. After I started building out different media projects and did an internship in big media agency in Amsterdam, I realised I wanted to dive deeper into the academic areas. So, I decided to do a master's degree. During that time, I also got more involved in conferences and started seeing women on conference stages, like the amazing Sarah Drasner. Seeing women like her really kept me going and inspired me to grow and improve.

Once I graduated and after speaking at conferences myself, I decided to take a role as a junior lecturer, teaching media informatics at the university. In my colleague Brigitte Jellinek, I found another role model: a woman teaching and inspiring young people to learn informatics. While being a lecturer I got a taste of research and the inner functions of academia. But, there was still something missing: real hands-on professional experience in the tech industry.

That led me to join the Storyblok team pretty early in their startup adventure. These past 4 years were a wild ride of learning, growing, and witnessing the realities of being a woman in tech. I worked my way up alongside a majority of male colleagues and had first-hand experience of the challenges and triumphs that generally came with working in a fast growing startup.

And now that I'm leaving Storyblok, I've been surprised by the overwhelming positive feedback I got from my female colleagues, who told me that I was a role model for them. It brought me back to a panel discussion I joined about this topic a few years prior, so I want to share why I believe role models are so crucial.

The Impact of Female Role Models in Technical Fields

When I was working as a lecturer at the university I got invited to a women-only symposium titled "Computing is too important to be left to men" at the technical university in Vienna (TU Wien). This event opened my eyes in more ways than one. The stage was filled up by brilliant women who have devoted decades to STEM fields, acting as professors and researchers. They addressed why so few women chose to study or stay in technical careers, presenting real studies, data, and insights from their research.

“I really didn’t know that women where not supposed to do science - until I went to university."

Jane Hillston from the University of Edinburgh

I was already familiar with the disappointing statistics showing fewer women in the field and the large disparities in salary. But the bigger question for me was, why? Why don't more women choose to study technical subjects? Why aren't more women occupying top-tier positions, where crucial decisions are made? These women at the symposium, through their dedicated research, started to give me some real insights to these complex questions. Many of their insights allowed me to connect their research to my own experience and understand more of the larger picture.

Insights

Jane Hillston, who spoke at this event, presented her take on the influence of role models in the technical field.

As a math student in the 80s, she was usually the only woman in a sea of bearded men. Taking up roles in software, she found that only 15% of her colleagues were females — but that was in the 80s, today it must have improved? I looked numbers from my experiences and some female colleagues in similar positions (40 years later!), and although things have improved a bit to about 25 - 30%, we're still far from achieving gender equality in technical fields. I've found that in a team of 4 - 5 people, there would normally be 1 woman to 3 - 4 men. If it comes to team leadership positions, it's similar, 1 of 5 technical teams would be lead by women. The more technical the areas got, the fewer women you would find. And the higher you go in the position, the fewer women are leading and represented.

A concerning insight Jane Hillston shared from her findings was that 45% of women do not utilise their technical degrees, deeming the work environment too challenging to navigate as a woman. Changing societal attitudes are important, but so is addressing the specific factors that intimidate women to stay in the field.

She also reiterated that role models are not just about women existing in tech but about women leading in tech. Simply being present in a space isn't enough — we need women empowered and showing up in leadership roles.

But what can I do about it?

1. The Reminder Rule: Always ask, "Do we have a woman equipped to take this on?" Look around the table and ensure women are given equal opportunity, every time.

2. Crush Discrimination: Witnessed an instance of sexism or discrimination, whether you're a woman or not? Don't hesitate to call it out. Silent spectators perpetuate the problem.

3. Encourage Resilience: Recognize that the tech landscape can be rough for women, but remind your female peers not to bow out. Your support could be their fuel to keep pushing on.

4. Use Data as a Weapon: Collect and leverage data to raise awareness about workplace disparities. Stating facts grounds your argument in reality and makes it harder to ignore.

5. Don't Feed Blind Practices: Refrain from endorsing activities or organizations that turn a blind eye to gender biases. Support those that base their operations on equality measures instead.

6. Set a Standard: Aim to increase women's representation to at least 30%. Research shows this is the threshold where women start feeling less like a 'minority' and more at ease to voice their ideas.

7. Scrutinize Promotions: Next time promotions are announced, note who's stepping up the ladder. How many of those promotions were granted to women? If the answer is not satisfactory, it's time to ask some hard questions.

8. Be a mentor: Take a promising female colleague under your wing and provide her with guidance, advocacy, and the assurance that she belongs in the field of technology.

9. Take active part in advocacy: Encourage fellow women to aim high. If they hesitate to take up speaking opportunities, panel memberships or editorships, boost their confidence, assure them that they have what it takes and more.

10. Highlight the Role Models: We need to change the narrative around what’s normal in the tech industry. Talk about successful women in tech, share their stories and accomplishments, showcase them as the role-models.

Role Models and Champions

After these years of witnessing, experiencing, and absorbing the various facets of the industry, I've see the power of role model representation and championing fellow women. These role models need not necessarily be the high-flying superstars, they could also be everyday women like you and me. I believe the most significant impact we can have as women in tech is to stand as positive examples, thus encouraging other women to venture into the field.

Becoming a Role Model

Often, the narrative of women in tech is dominated by those at the very top - CEOs, renowned researchers, or prodigious programmers, mostly men. However, role models are not just these extraordinary outliers.

Looking back at my journey, I realize spotting familiar faces in unfamiliar spaces has been vital in building my confidence and commitment to my work. Knowing that someone 'like me' has succeeded in a space where I initially felt like didn't belong has been particularly empowering. I now strive to be one of those familiar faces for another younger woman, promising and assuring her that she belongs, and she can make it.

Championing Women in Tech

Another way to make a substantial difference is to actively champion other women in tech — and not just in a mentorship capacity. Be advocates, cheerleaders, and support networks. Give them the reassurance that they can ask questions, share, and learn in a supportive and non-judgemental environment.

This involves advocating for more women speakers at conferences, encouraging female colleagues to apply for promotions, or recommending them for projects — without the preconceived notions of what they can or cannot handle.

Surprisingly, sometimes, all it takes is someone saying, "I believe you can do this." There were a few times those simple words have given me just the push I needed. Remember that every small effort counts. Every woman added to a team breaks the stereotype a bit more. Every woman present in senior leadership dismantles the notion that women don't belong in the those higher leadership positions.

The role of being a women in tech is not just about debates, arguments, and protests. It's also about simple, everyday actions -- standing up for your female colleague, encouraging them to speak up, share ideas and also take credit where it's due.

Beyond Role Models

Role models play an essential role in attracting and retaining women in tech, but to create a truly inclusive industry, we need to go beyond individual inspiration and influence; we need to work towards systemic changes that begin with the early years of education and extend into our workplaces and communities.

Transforming School Education

In many school environments we’re up against outdated stereotypes that label girls as unfit for STEM fields. Boys are encouraged to do math, girls are encouraged to move towards social occupations. It's here that we need to step in and encourage girls to develop an interest and explore in technical subjects. By examining curriculums in the light of unconscious bias, and training teachers to cultivate an inclusive and supportive classroom — we'll set the stage for growth. The girls of today will be the women breaking barriers in technology tomorrow.

Girl-only coding camps, hackerspaces, and tech exploration days can provide a sneak-peek into the exciting world of technology and its applications. From creating an app from scratch to designing a website, girls should have opportunities to tinker with tech toolkit and meet industry professionals, just as boys do.

Support programs

Financial support is equally crucial, which involves creating scholarships for female students, subsidizing fees for women to attend conferences, and providing research grants to female researchers. Such resources not only ease the financial burden but also inspire females to stick with their education paths and careers in tech.

Support measures for women are also vital: considering help with childcare, spreading awareness about career breaks, and promoting flexible working arrangements can level the career progression.

Conclusion

To sum my own experience up, in my professional experience I've had some amazing women clearing the path ahead. People like Jane Hillston do their best at showing what it needs - more empowered women showing up in leadership role. Real change means stepping beyond individual stories and into system-wide transformations, from classrooms, to the workplaces to boardrooms. We need to rally for next generation of girls to look at the STEM fields and consider it as an option, we need to push support programs, and break down barriers to equal opportunities. Remember: each small step you take is another paving stone on the road to a diverse tech industry. An industry that celebrates women not as anomalies, but as the norm.