Mentoring and the STEM Gender Gap
By: Ali Roberts
The dominant narrative has been that the gender gap in technology career fields has been slowly closing over the years, however, one study has found that the proportion of women to men in tech positions has actually been declining over the last 30 years. Additionally, half of the women who go into tech fields leave by the age of 35. This study has found that the main reason for this decline and poor retention rate is that colleges and workplaces aren’t inclusive enough.
In recent years, many companies have made it a point to focus on recruiting employees from more diverse backgrounds. However, recruiting initiatives are only the first step of the process towards creating a more diverse workforce. Retention depends on creating inclusive and equitable environments, including equitable pay, recognition of differences in work-life structures, and more role models who share similar identities to employees. Accenture has compiled a list of 40 factors that influence women’s advancement in tech companies. Some of these factors include transparency about gender pay gaps and goals, the existence of an in-company women’s network, and that employees have never been asked to change their appearance to fit into company standards. Some other factors in the retention of women in tech fields are the existence of role models, a diverse leadership team, and access to mentors.
One woman who is acknowledging her experience with the lack of women in senior tech positions and mentoring for women in STEM fields has decided to take matters into her own hands. D. Sangeeta decided to leave her position at Amazon in 2020 order to establish Gotara, a platform for women in STEM to find career advice from a list of trusted advisors. Sangeeta aims to make Gotara available to women globally, linking women to an advisor who has had a similar pathway in their career and providing advice within 24 hours. Platforms like Gotara allow women in tech and other STEM fields to take the process of getting advice from a mentor into their own hands, particularly when colleges they are attending or companies they are employed by (or aim to be employed by) fall short of this need.
Mentorship has proven to be a key component to women’s confidence and success in their careers. Jessica Bateman with The Guardian interviewed several women in tech about their mentor/mentee experiences and what these relationships mean to them. One woman explained her experience of always feeling like she needed to work much harder than the men in the room:
“Women could never wing it, whereas I saw a lot of men winging it. And while it does make you good at what you do, it also knocks your confidence. A mentor can help bolster that confidence and stop you beating yourself up so much.”
Other interviewees discuss the benefits of having someone who has an ear open for potential opportunities and being able to see someone’s career path.
While there have been an increasing amount of platforms intended to help women in STEM careers find mentors (a quick web search brings up many results for programs and websites), how much of this responsibility should be taken up by tech companies themselves? To fully commit to hiring and retention of more gender-diverse employees, inclusion practices should involve a commitment to empowering women as mentors within companies and the investment in fostering the relationships between mentors and mentees.
Written by:
Ali Roberts
Graduate Research Assistant
Women and Gender Studies
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