What statistics say about Women in Tech

The web development industry is dominated by men, 91.67% of them according to a global developer survey carried out in 2021. Yet, despite that overwhelming statistical imbalance, I don’t feel like a minority. I know it’s true, but thanks to the number of female developers I know, it feels like the norm to be a Woman in Tech.

What my experience has been as a Woman in Tech

Five out of the last eight years in my career, I have been very privileged to have been surrounded by talented women, either in the same role or in the same team. What I have noticed about working alongside other women is that confidence isn’t usually our strong point. We doubt ourselves, our opinions and skills on a daily basis, and most of us have experienced imposter syndrome. So much so that our .NET Team Lead Sian Simms and Frontend Developer Emma Hughes wrote an article about it in Skrift Magazine. However, where our own confidence may lack, we are able to see each other’s struggles and lift each other up. The tools in my toolset to overcome my daily doubts and challenges are there because other women gave them to me (thanks Mum), and I will always pass those tools on to others when they need a lift, whether they are a man, woman or non-conforming.

Working with women is awesome but there should always be balance, for the organisation as well as the product that we’re making. In a diverse team with people from every walk of life, not just gender, there is more creativity, various ideas, and better understanding of different people, their cultures and perspectives. Ultimately, this trickles down to the people that use our products and their experience of it, so the more representation there is at the build stage, the more representation there is for our users.

Throughout my career, I have sought to work with other female developers. Since I joined Spindogs in 2019, the Frontend Development team has always been over 50% female and the rest of the company has gone from strength to strength in that regard as well, with so many powerful women in senior and managerial positions. Over the years, I have built a support network of women so that I am never alone or just 8.33%. I don’t feel like a minority, because I am not. We’re everywhere and the more we support each other, listen to each other and make our voices heard, the world and the technology we build will be better for it.

Imbue what you read, watch and listen to with more female voices and you will not regret it.

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