Women in tech: Is it still a man’s world?

Friday 8.3. is Women's Day. Further than just a day to give flowers to the women in your life – this is a day to both celebrate women’s achievements and to remind you that there’s still work to be done in the field of equality.

In the software industry, the inclusion of women and minorities has been a hot topic for a long time. For example, in research conducted by the Fawcett Society at the end of 2023, there were many alarming findings. Among them, was the belief held by 1 of 5 men working in the IT industry, that women are by nature less suited to working in tech. What was also discovered, was that 72 % of women working in IT have dealt with at least one form of sexism in their working life. Reading these results can be jarring and discouraging, and we hope to be soon living in a world where everybody can go to work without fear of discrimination. Until then, we will do our best to promote equality in the IT world. For Women’s Day, we wanted to share the perspective of one of our own: Irina. 

Irina’s perspective of women in tech

Irina is the newest addition to Marvel Consulting’s team of consultants. She is working as a Project Manager on our customer’s project. Irina has worked in the IT industry for roughly 20 years and is also currently studying to become an engineer, focusing on artificial intelligence (or AI). She has worked in many different roles, gaining vast experience in the industry.
Here is our interview with Irina.

How did you end up in the IT industry?

“I ended up in the IT industry by a happy accident. I started working for a company, that had just started their operations in Finland, which meant that I was basically alone in an empty office in the beginning! This opportunity let me have my hands in many different tasks, and immediately threw me to the deep end.”

Have you encountered misogyny in your own working life?

“Earlier on in my career, I got comments like ‘you would be a good coffee maker at the office’. At a job interview, I was asked about my relationship status and family situation, and when I didn’t want to answer, I got critiqued for being negative. I have also been told by a person in a leadership position, that I should leave the room so the ‘men could talk’. I have encountered situations, where a man listens to what I say, but rather than giving me credit for the idea, he states it as his own idea. I have also been told that I’m kind of like an AI myself because I have a brain in my head and blonde hair; a comment which, sure, was meant as a joke, but what was the joke exactly? 

About my women colleagues, I have sometimes heard the expression that somebody got to where they are by ‘sleeping their way to the top’. Have you ever heard that being said about a man? I have also heard many comments about a woman’s looks, for example about their clothing or weight. These kinds of comments should have no space in a professional setting.”

“Earlier on in my career, I got comments like ‘you would be a good coffee maker at the office’. At a job interview, I was asked about my relationship status and family situation, and when I didn’t want to answer, I got critiqued for being negative. I have also been told by a person in a leadership position, that I should leave the room so the ‘men could talk’.”

What do you think about the position of women in the IT industry?

“I think women are great communicators and decision-makers. The IT industry often highlights hard skills like pragmatic, engineer-like thinking, which is incorrectly thought to be a quality of men only. The IT world also needs many soft skills, which are often overlooked. I also think that when it comes to hiring women in the IT sector, it should not be focused on what women supposedly cannot do, but rather on what they can do. This could also be more focused on in education. 

What was interesting, was that when I was talking about working in the IT industry at a secondary school, the boys came to ask me further questions after the talk, but the girls were quiet. So it seems, that gender roles start to play a role very early on.”

Do you think there’s something to be done to help combat these issues? 

“Of course! I think there should be more courage in making hiring decisions. Companies shouldn’t always search for someone similar to replace someone leaving the company but be courageous enough to hire somebody different. Often people involved in projects are of a very similar profile – white men – and hiring decisions should be made more open-mindedly. Women should also be given more responsibility at work. Different perspectives and experiences should be more valued. Industry experience, which is often highly valued, can also be learned quite efficiently!”

Any concluding words?

“Stereotypes seem to be very deeply believed, even still. The world of IT is changing all the time, so different perspectives and people are needed in the workforce.” 

Thank you, Irina, for telling us your perspective on this important topic! As Irina said, courage is needed in the IT industry for making hiring decisions that differ from the norm. Giving opportunities to women and minorities is important in creating inclusive communities. Organizations and people working in the IT industry should also make a conscious effort to promote equality in the workplace. For example, inappropriate jokes or not giving credit for women’s ideas, do not belong in a positive work environment — not to mention outright misogyny or harassment. These harmful actions should be called out and dealt with as they occur, not swept under the rug. 

Let’s celebrate inclusivity and equality together!