Keeping STEM Sustainable: It Starts With Women
In honor of Women’s History Month, it naturally got me thinking about women and progress. As a technical recruiter, you see technology from the outside in. I cannot code (unless you count my old Myspace page) or support a server; however, I understand the importance of sustainable code and a secure and sound infrastructure in order to ensure product survival. As I speak to creative and intelligent technologists, I find that almost all of them want to be challenged by building an innovative and viable product. In order to build a great product, though, you need ideas, opinions, and experiences from a diverse group of people. Unfortunately, for many companies, this diversity is lacking as women are not involved enough in decision-making or the design and development of a product.
It won’t surprise those who know me that I chose to write about gender inequality, but how could I not? I am frustrated that according to sources women make up nearly 60% of college graduates in the US, 50% of graduate school classes in many traditionally male fields, and half of the workforce, but still there are far less female C-level executives than male, fewer female engineers, fewer female technologists, fewer female scientists, the list goes on and on. I am not denying that there hasn’t been progress over the last century, but it is naïve to think we are in a state of true gender equality.
In the era of automation and technology, why are more people not advocating for women’s involvement in STEM subjects and career paths? Furthermore, why does inequality exist in all fields, at all levels? I don’t have the answer, but it baffles and angers me. Women bring creative, unique, and sustainable ideas to the table. If we want to build innovative products that penetrate the marketplace, we all need to encourage and advocate for equality.
https://dev.to/thepracticaldev/nevertheless-she-coded
Writer: Madison Moore, Director