International Women’s Day is here, a time for all those who care about women’s equality to celebrate the achievements of women both contemporary and historical and to focus on gender equality in our society.
The tech sector still has a sizable gender divide, with only around one quarter of all tech roles held by women. Tech leaders need to enter into open dialogue over how to make tech careers more attractive to women and to empower women within their workforce.
In this episode, Rory speaks to Elizabeth Barr, head of the Cisco Networking Academy in the UK, Ireland, and Nordics, to explore what International Women’s Day means in 2025 and how young women are entering the tech workforce.
Highlights
“Women account for less than 20% of computer science degrees. We represent around 25% of the tech workforce, which is much lower in areas like cybersecurity, for example. So whilst, yes, we have seen improvements I think it's really important to use International Women's Day as a moment to raise awareness around the ongoing inequalities that women face, advocate for policies, and then critically drive action towards accelerating gender parity. I think it also goes without saying that this shouldn't just be a pursuit that's dedicated to one day of the year.”
“I think it's not just about attracting a diverse tech talent pipeline, right? It's also about retention. So how can you support women advancing in their careers? And I think again, that starts with culture, so employees from all backgrounds feel that they can thrive at all levels within the business.”
“We hear statistics around, ‘You need five years of experience to get an entry level role inside the security’ and things like this. So I think the wider the culture and hiring that we see doesn't help. But one thing that is really important, and that we hear loud and clear from recruiters, is the importance of soft skills, or human skills. And this is often something that I think women in particular, do underplay whether you're going for a technical role, non technical role early in career, leadership, middle management, having soft skills and human skills are so important for any role within tech.”
Show notes
- Women in tech think the industry has changed for the better, but there’s still more work to be done
- Women in tech are being forced out of work by the ‘motherhood penalty’
- The women returning to tech – and why they left
- “We are influencing generations to come”: Improving the picture for women in tech through cultural changes
- Supporting female founders in tech
- The company-wide benefits of mentorship in tech
Subscribe
- Subscribe to The ITPro Podcast on Apple Podcasts
- Subscribe to The ITPro Podcast on Spotify
- Subscribe to the ITPro newsletter
- Subscribe to the ITPro Podcast on YouTube
- Join us on LinkedIn
-
Hackers are targeting Ivanti VPN users again – here’s what you need to knowNews Ivanti has re-patched a security flaw in its Connect Secure VPN appliances that's been exploited by a China-linked espionage group since at least the middle of March.
-
OpenAI woos UK government amid consultation on AI training and copyrightNews OpenAI is fighting back against the UK government's proposals on how to handle AI training and copyright.
-
Four-day weeks and Nadella's AGI skepticismITPro Podcast As the Microsoft chief casts doubt on ultra-advanced AI systems, a famous security blogger has fallen victim to a classic attack
-
What is the EU's AI plan?ITPro Podcast As the EU moves to enable AI innovation, it could end up striking the perfect balance between regulation and public support – especially as US AI laws become more complex
-
The trends we’re watching in 2025AI for security and sovereign cloud could be top driving forces in the coming year
-
The 2024 that didn't happenThese are the megatrends of the year that failed to materialise
-
What DORA means for businessITPro Podcast Stringent requirements for third party monitoring and ongoing resilience testing could help put businesses on the best track for security
-
Can the four-day week work for tech?ITPro Podcast As the four-day week gives Icelandic workers a boost, we also look at whether AI coding is up to scratch – and if OpenAI can keep its funding momentum
-
How to sell cyber security without the FUDITPro Podcast A trusted network of cybersecurity marketing professionals can help professionals cut through at the board level
-
Why Open Banking from a bank?Special Edition Harnessing the best of open banking allows enterprises to track spending in near real-time
