Women in Tech Society

Hi, I am about to start a grad scheme (tech and innovation) for Liberty Global in Sept. Out of 20ish candidates I was the only female in attendance. Looking forward to comparing notes. Anything I can expect?

are women also underrepresented applications for jobs at technology firms?

As in, are there fewer applications from women than from men? I don't have any figures on this to hand, but I'll look into it and get back to you!

It is interesting as not to derail but I don't think it would show the bigger picture, I am male and came from a actual poverty background and noticed less of a gender divide than a social class divide at school and even college when it came to tech subjects. I found it interesting that a local college now has certain subjects like engineering to have female only courses but the regular course is open to both males and female, I felt this is a mixed message because for one by having a mixed and a single sex course it meant a uneven amount of applicants even if traditionally less females go for it still it means a worthy male candidate loses out on the mixed course if they are turned down six of one.

Thats why diversity is a difficult argument, if most applicants are male then by default theres a far greater chance that a male gets a job in that field and by extension is in a leadership or even ownership role, office/call centre and even carers roles (I know the topic is about STEM) are still majorly female so it brings to my attention that numbers alone don't show a lack of diversity as much as theres historically more people trained in those fields.

To finish off and go back to what I started with, I would find it more diverse to have a male from a background of say a very rough area, roughest school in area, parents unable to work, lived hand to mouth who didn't even have the basics who made something of themselves more diverse and inspiring than a female from a background where they didn't struggle, so even if she worked hard to get where she was in the overall picture compared to the guy in the comparison its not even in the same league.

So thats why diversity again is difficult.

Yea sure, I'm all for more women in tech. Would also be interested in discussing why people think there are fewer women than men in the field.

I think we get to a difficult topic when we start to compare diversity groups, as it starts to get into a discussion on which has it worse and is therefore more deserving of inclusion - and that is largely unimportant, because the reality is we should be looking to increase diversity across the board.

You're right that social class is another excluding factor, but it's one we should be looking to increase in STEM roles as well as women, not instead of them.

Increasing diversity is the point, but also what we see as diversity even going back to when I was at school boys were seen as strange and even somewhat weak if they were weak in things like woodwork and crafts and girls they had no expectations set, for home economics boys were seen as strange and other negative stereotypes if they wanted to do it. In both cases its prejudices against both genders because of expectations.

Personally over the years I have seen girls being expected to get high grades in fields such as maths at my very school they had female only awards, grants etc specifically aimed at girls but sadly as unfair as that was against the males it also only went to the girls that came from financially well off backgrounds since they were the ones that could afford private tutors in the first place

Im not saying take on less women but look at potential more, someone who came from a background like what I listed has had to work "harder" to get where they were so more inspiring, I'd hate to lose that candidate based on gender or expectations

lol was that suppose to happen?

Joined Data Analyst for TSR here

According to recent diversity reports, women are still underrepresented in most tech companies, especially in technical and leadership roles.

This group is to support those identifying as female who work in a STEM role, and to encourage others into the sector.

Whether you're a WIT or an ally, introduce yourself here, and get involved in the discussion

Want to join the official soc? You can do so here!

According to recent diversity reports, women are still underrepresented in most tech companies, especially in technical and leadership roles.

This group is to support those identifying as female who work in a STEM role, and to encourage others into the sector.

Whether you're a WIT or an ally, introduce yourself here, and get involved in the discussion

Want to join the official soc? You can do so here!