BusinessWomen in Tech: 5 Myths about Women in IT

Despite the results of numerous studies confirming that the differences in cognitive abilities of representatives of different sexes are negligible, women working in the IT field still have to prove their professionalism and competence. And sometimes they have to prove it even to themselves.

A survey on the level of operational efficiency conducted by Wrike in 2018 sheds light on this problem. They interviewed more than a thousand specialists from the United States about how work is organized in their companies. And 48% of the women surveyed said that any of their rationalization proposals will be ignored or will not reach the implementation stage. For comparison, the number of men who gave this answer was 42%.

Even though the share of women in the IT segment is gradually growing their work is still shrouded in myths and stereotypes, which for the most part have little to do with reality. Do women walk worse, earn less, and go to it after a rich man? These and other myths we will try to debunk today in this article for MRBlog.

Myth NR1

“THE FEMALE BRAIN IS DESIGNED DIFFERENTLY FROM THE MALE BRAIN, WHICH IS WHY WOMEN WALK WORSE AND GENERALLY HAVE A POOR UNDERSTANDING OF TECHNOLOGY”

There are no differences between the male and female brains that would prevent women from working in IT at the same level as men. And there is no evidence that the women's Program is worse. This is the same as asking: "Who codes better — blondes or brunettes?». The one who devotes more time to theory and practice is more effective. Gender will be the last factor influencing the outcome.

Why, then, are there fewer women in IT? Interesting is the experience of the Scandinavian countries, which at the legislative level balanced the socio-cultural conditions for men and women. The result was unexpected: despite the complete freedom to choose a profession, the gender gap in some professional areas has only increased. For example, in Norway, engineering specialties, in particular in the IT industry, were 60% employed by men and 40% by women. Women choose what they are more interested in. In any case, there is no reason to believe that there are fewer women in IT because they perform worse.

Conclusion: the myth is refuted

Female brain there are no differences that prevent women from developing in the neck

Debunked by: Rodion Aznaurov an Advanced Software, Engineer and a psychologist with ten years of experience

Myth NR2

“WOMEN LEAVE NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE INTERESTED IN THE FIELD AND TECHNOLOGY, BUT FOR A RICH MAN, BECAUSE IT IS FASHIONABLE AND SO ON”

I never wanted a simple profession. Since childhood, I was interested in collecting various schemes, and with the technique, I was always on "you". My favorite subjects at school were physics and mathematics. It was then that I realized that I wanted to connect my life with the technical field.

I went to study 11 years ago when the IT sector in Ukraine was just beginning to develop actively. I did what I liked, not going for the money. It was important for me to overcome certain difficulties every day and that my work did not turn into a routine.

Conclusion: the myth is refuted

The IT sector attracts ambitious and erudite people of all genders who want to solve interesting problems and get a decent income at the same time.

Debunked by: Daria Nesvitailo, Software Engineer

Myth NR3

“IT IS MORE DIFFICULT FOR WOMEN TO FIND A COMMON LANGUAGE WITH MALE PROGRAMMERS, AND EVEN MORE SO TO MANAGE THEM”

I can say with confidence that I don't believe in stereotypes about women. I believe that professionalism does not depend on a person's gender, but rather on their experience. During my practice, I have encountered many people who have held leadership positions, including women. I had both positive and negative experiences. But when a person understands the profession and knows their responsibilities, it is very easy to cooperate with them — regardless of gender. Therefore, I would never look at gender as a criterion for evaluating professional performance.

Conclusion: the myth is refuted

Communication and leadership skills depend on certain personality traits, professionalism, and experience, but not on gender at all.

Debunked by: Dmytro Tuzenkov, Advanced Software Engineer

Myth NR4

“WOMEN EARN LESS THAN MEN”

In Poland, men in IT earn on average 75% more than women. According to these statistics, in almost all positions in the market, men receive a higher salary: the exception in the industry is junior-level positions, for which the average salaries of women and men are the same. In Mobile Reality, the situation is different. I do not know all the salaries in the company, but I can say with confidence that in my team (170 people), men and women in the same positions receive the same salary.

Conclusion: the myth is refuted but only partially

It probably all depends on the company's position.

Debunked by: Aneta Wodarz, HR Manager

Myth NR5

It doesn't matter at all who is applying for a job in Mobile Reality — a man or a woman. The hiring process is the same for everyone. We don't ask questions like, "Are you going on maternity leave in the next couple of years?». This is a stupid tone and a violation of personal boundaries.

Sometimes there are requests to ensure gender balance. For example, if there are two men on my team and a QA vacancy is open, sometimes it's better than it's a girl. But this is more of a wish than a mandatory requirement.

Conclusion: the myth is refuted

It is difficult to get into IT for those who do not have the desire to learn new things and the motivation to work hard. At the same time, this industry is open to ambition and ready to develop people — of any gender.

Debunked by: Aneta Wodarz, HR Manager

Women in the IT field are constantly fighting for the right to be heard. They have to prove their professionalism over and over again, but their voices are smashed against a mirror wall of stereotypes.

The problem is not a lack of knowledge. And not in personnel policy. The problem is perception. Tech company executives should pay more attention to developing empathy, fighting unconscious biases, and being able to value women for their qualities. Yes, we have come a long way. But we still have a lot to go through.

Data processing specialist Disha Shah gives this advice to women in IT: "Focus entirely on your goal and what you need to do to reach it and ignore everything else. The more you worry about someone else's words or a stolen idea, the less time you will have for professional development."

"Whatever the company's policy, your knowledge is still most important," she says. "Only in them is your strength, and only thanks to them are you moving forward."

Sources:

https://www.wrike.com/ru/blog/women-in-it/

https://happymonday.ua/en/specproject/7-mifiv-pro-zhinok-v-it