Globally, the tech ecosystem has been male dominated; this agrees with researches carried out in some major technology companies. There have been a relatively low percentage of women involved in technology.
For instance, Apple has 20% of women employees in technology; Google has 17% of women in its workforce, while Facebook and Twitter have 16.6%, 10% respectively.
This is in great contrast to the other sectors of the economy as women tend to dominate the professional and business workforce while they refrain from technology-based companies.
Beaming the spotlight to Nigeria, the situation is a bit worse as the country cannot boast of 30 female owned tech companies.
Historically, most women in the country have shied away from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
This shyness to take up STEM has been promoted with some believe that women have a low intelligent quotient.
Mrs. Chinwe Sophia, CEO of BVC Consulting, a tech based establishment has disagreed with this assertion. “Being a woman in a male dominated field has been both exciting and challenging.”
Despite having studied mass communication in the university, her passion for continuous learning drove her to make the big switch, though, it wasn’t an easy task. She took the challenge and had so far excelled in her new found career path.
She believes that women get discouraged from the tech world because of their different assimilation pattern as against that of the men and feels they should be encouraged to join the tech space by developing creative methods of teaching mathematics.
“They should be made to understand and practice this subject in the best possible ways to create the much-needed balance in the economy. When the women bring their creativity sense and their efficient managerial skills, the tech world would be even better than it is present.”
Way Forward
Solving this problem, more female role models are needed in the tech industry, the already existing women in tech should mentor and handhold the future ones, getting them more interested and less confused in the field.
Also, the Government and corporate organizations should build support systems, organize programs, to train and get the women more active to create a gender balance in the economy.