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International Women’s Day offers the opportunity for businesses and organisations from across the world to celebrate and empower the women in their workforces as well as look to the future to see what more can be done to showcase the role models in the technology industry.
This International Women’s Day, an emphasis has been placed on equity within organisations. Whilst huge efforts have already been made towards equality and creating inclusive and diverse environments, the need for more equity has become apparent. Equity differentiates from equality, and simply means providing workers with what they personally need rather than implementing blanket benefits for everyone.
In a male-dominated industry, shining the light on successful women already in technology roles is essential, and not only showcases their thoughts and experiences about what the sector currently offers but also what can be done to promote equity and pave the way for the next generation of female leaders.
What equity actually means
The debate of equity vs equality isn’t by any means new, but it can often be hard to differentiate between the two. “Equality means treating everyone the same way, without taking into account their individual differences or needs”, says Weronika Babrecka, Team Leader at Future Processing. “On the other hand, equity means providing each person with the resources and opportunities they need to succeed, regardless of their starting point.”
Traditionally, employee benefits have been uniform across the board, but in today’s modern world where benefits and culture play a substantial role in workplace decisions for staff, ‘cookie cutter’ benefits are a thing of the past. “That means that not only income equality, but internal company equality policies or fair promotion rules are essential,” continues Babrecka. “Other practices such as flexible working time, remote work or a set of benefits (e.g. co-funding for kindergarten) can also really help to increase the feeling of equity.”
Incorporating a feeling of equity and value into organisations can not only benefit the industry, but can also create a stronger, more resilient and diverse workforce. Offering all employees opportunities and benefits that best suit their personal situations is not only a benefit but is now an expectation, especially in a post covid world.
Creating an equitable future
Taking steps towards a more equitable future is achievable for organisations of all sizes, and those across the technology industry are hopeful about what that means for them. Suzanne Pierce, Support Director at Fu3e, says “Change doesn’t happen by hoping and wishing for things, it happens through action, support and encouragement on a one-on-one basis. The more we can all support each other, regardless of gender or sexual preference the better, making it all about the person and what they can contribute to our industry and society is key.”
Rebecca Worsley, Founder & CEO of Rainy City Agency agrees, saying “I go to lots of networking and e-commerce events and the split between male and female is incredibly one-sided. The most frequently asked question when meeting someone new and telling them about the agency is – ‘So is it just yours or do you have a partner?’ It’s said as though it’s impossible for a woman to have started an agency without the help of another person.”
In changing from a ‘nice-to-have’ to a ‘must-have’, equity policies are essential for any modern and progressive business to have in place. And with the technology industry still dominated by men, this has resulted in disparities in access to opportunities for upcoming female talent.
“This has resulted in a wide range of issues including pay inequity, limited opportunities for advancement, and an overall lack of diversity in thought and perspective,” concludes Babrecka. “Businesses must prioritise gender equity in their hiring and promotion practices and provide equal opportunities for professional growth and development for the next generation.”
