As the tech industry continues to grow, it's key to embrace diversity in leadership roles. Empowering women in leadership must be a strategic imperative.
Let's look at eight actionable tips to support women leaders in the tech industry.
We've got data to back this up. 45% of organizations think that advancing women into leadership roles is a top business priority. Plus, there's a 19% higher revenue growth in organizations identified as gender equity leaders. That's according to a special report from IBM.
As you may already know, March 8 is International Women's Day. It's a global celebration of women's achievements. It's the perfect time to reflect and take collective action for gender parity in the workplace.
Empowering women in tech can include fostering inclusive environments and supporting career growth.
In this article, we'll share ideas on how to empower women in leadership roles within tech.
Jump to a specific tip to empower women in tech:
What Does Women Empowering Women Look Like?
When we think about the tech industry, names like Steve Jobs or Elon Musk naturally come to mind. But how many female tech leaders can you think of?
While conducting research for this article, I found that I had no references in mind. Imagining what women empowering women looks like can be challenging with no firsthand experience.
Malala Yousafzai has empowering women quotes such as "We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back."
Let's begin by exploring women's empowerment through a few examples of female success.
First, I'd like to talk about black women in tech with the story of Annie Easley (1933–2011). She worked as a computer scientist for NASA for 34 years. By the time she was hired, Annie was one of only four African-American employees at the lab.
She played a key role in promoting diversity and inclusion within NASA. Her work is now a powerful example that inspires female representation in the tech industry.
Now, let's look at a more contemporary reference. I'd like to share a bit about Reshma Saujani. She's the founder and CEO of Girls Who Code, a non-profit organization founded in 2012. Their aim is to close the gender gap in tech.
Reshma has inspired many women to speak up about social injustices. Through her work, she advocates for equal pay, motherhood support, and equal rights in business. She also published a book to empower women titled Brave, Not Perfect. This book features one of the most empowering women's quotes:
“Being brave like women is about making choices based on what we want and what makes us happy, not what others expect or want for us.”
These are just two of a growing list of women in tech leading by example. Your company can be part of the change. Let's go over some ideas for empowering women in tech.
8 Ways to Empower Women Leaders in the Tech Industry
Wondering how to foster a more inclusive work environment for women?
Let's go over eight strategies to support women leaders in the tech industry:
1. Offer Mentorship Opportunities
Sharing knowledge on career and personal growth can be a game changer. This impacts not only the way women shape their careers but also the company's productivity.
Data shows that mentored employees are more productive. Plus, it's more likely for them to stay in the company. This kind of sponsorship can also create valuable women networks within the company.
We can see the impact of these programs in the industry. Companies like IBM take diversity and inclusion very seriously. Since the 1930s, IBM has been creating meaningful roles for women.
The company also runs a mentoring program for women in tech. It consists in pairing junior employees with more experienced professionals. It's a women empowering women type of initiative. This way, employees can guide and support their career development.
2. Promote Leadership Training
Strong leadership can motivate, encourage, and inspire others to do their best work.
Data shows that 94% of employees "would stay with a company longer if it invested in helping them learn and grow professionally." Leadership training can give powerful tools for women and minorities to excel at their roles.
According to Harvard Business School, these are some benefits of leadership training:
- helps develop insights on strengths and areas of opportunity
- enables employees to identify their leadership style
- employees learn how to influence, empower others, and handle stressful situations
- leadership skills can help build robust and trusting relationships between employees
Now, let's look at at an example from the tech industry. Since 2016, Google has run an initiative called #IamRemarkable. It responds to a specific insight: women and under-represented groups often struggle with self-promotion.
Google's #IamRemarkable shares workshops and training sessions focused on building confidence. These focus on celebrating women's achievements in the workplace and beyond.
For example, they partner up with companies like Walmart, which is the largest private U.S. employer of women. Through this workshop, they opened a needed conversation around recognizing achievements and collaboration within teams.
Get more inspiration from this compilation of top leadership quotes:
3. Create Spaces for Networking
It's really helpful in creating spaces for women to connect and support each other.
You can do this through professional organizations or community events. This way, employees can find empowering women mentors and collaborators. Plus, they can learn of opportunities in their fields.
It can be as simple as organizing an empower women book club. This helps employees get together to share their experiences.
Women Who Code is a great example in this area. It's a global non-profit dedicated to inspiring women in tech. They open up networking opportunities through free coding resources and conferences. This helps women build influential careers in tech.
4. Practice Equal Pay
Reviewing the payment criteria in your business is key. It's not only ethical, but it can foster a fair, motivated, and inclusive workplace.
According to UN Women, "women only make 77 cents for every dollar earned by men." And the gap gets bigger for women of color, immigrant women, and mothers.
Data from NOW also shows that there's a "motherhood penalty." Employers are less likely to hire moms, and their time out for family matters can impact their career growth.
The change is significant, but there are simple strategies to get started. Here are steps you can take to implement equal pay in the workplace:
- run an in-depth analysis of your current pay practices to identify any disparities
- be transparent with how pay is determined and create a clear compensation structure
- establish a standard pay range for each job based on market research
- review and adjust your compensation policies
To get some inspiration on how this can be done, let's look at a quick case study. Salesforce has been taking action on this matter since 2015. They were one of the first companies to evaluate and address any gaps in pay globally.
Through impactful action, their goal is to "identify systemic disparities in pay." To achieve that, they continually conduct extensive audits and analyses and make necessary adjustments.
5. Promote Flexible Work Hours
Flexible working conditions can really improve your employees' work/life balance. This especially impacts working moms who need to juggle between work and family responsibilities.
Studies show that 43% of employees are more productive with a flexible work schedule. Happier employees tend to stay longer at their jobs. This flexibility can positively impact your company's talent attraction and retention.
Dell Technologies has a useful industry example. The company has promoted a program called Connected Workplace. This initiative opens the possibility for employees to choose where and when they work. They can go for remote work, choose flexible schedules, or even part-time positions.
The main purpose is to support all employees with the flexibility they need. This way, they can succeed in life and work.
6. Provide Skill Development
Equipping women with the necessary tools and skills to excel in tech roles is key.
According to Wired, in 2021 just 52 women were promoted to manager for every 100 men at the same level in tech roles. And the root cause of the gender gap in tech is the pipeline. There are fewer girls pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) career options.
One way to tackle this is by creating work environments where women can stay and thrive. And this can start at an early age.
You can follow the example of initiatives like Code First: Girls. They're on a mission to close the gender gap in tech. They do that by providing employment through free education for women.
Your company can offer workshops for young girls on STEM education and training. This can help them develop the skills and the vision to pursue careers in the tech industry.
7. Increase Women Representation
This is a critical step towards closing the gender gap. The more women we see in positions of power, the more naturally we'll perceive this possibility.
Here's a short list of women who are currently representing us in the tech industry:
- Safra Catz is currently the CEO of Oracle
- Anne Wojcicki is the founder and CEO of 23andMe
- Whitney Wolfe Herd is the founder, executive chair, and former CEO of Bumble
- Reshma Saujani is the founder of Girls Who Code
According to a report from Women in Tech, in 2024, women hold only 28% of all jobs in computer and mathematical occupations. It might look small but it's a significant improvement. In the early 2000s, women only made up 9%.
Your company can start advocating for policies that support women's rights. You can also increase women's representation in all levels of decision-making processes.
Envato is a great example of a company that works for diversity and inclusion. Last year's report shows that "women in leadership roles increased from 41.6% in 2022 to 48.5% in 2023."
8. Celebrate Success Stories
Highlighting the achievements of women is a powerful tool for closing the gender gap.
Success stories give tangible examples of women making it. It's an amazing tool for empowering women in tech.
One way to do that is through awards and recognition programs. Make sure your company is honoring women in the workplace. Here are a few ideas you can implement in your workplace:
- collaborate with local media to share the achievements of women in tech
- begin giving awards to honor women's contributions to your company
- sponsor or host events that feature leaders to talk about women empowering women
- share success stories and achievements in internal newsletters
Get inspiration from companies like Microsoft. Women In Cloud is a global network women in tech founders, executives, and professionals.
This initiative is committed to inspiring inclusion and diversity in the tech ecosystem. Through their website and social media channels, they share women's success stories to inspire a global community.
More Resources for Women Leaders
Women empowering women is all about making our work and contributions visible. Now, you've got some actionable ideas on empowering women in tech.
Keep learning about women's empowerment and inclusion with these articles:
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Let's Keep Empowering Women in Business!
We've covered examples and case studies that highlight effective strategies from renowned companies.
Empowering leadership for women in tech requires daily action. Now, you've got eight actionable tips to get you started on the right path. Use what you've learned in your business to support and empower women in tech!
