It seems, there are subtle messages we send to girls in school which may keep them from pursuing STEM study and careers. Yes, tech is considered by many to be nerdy and many women aren’t huge fans of being called nerds… Who is? Silicon Valley Billionaires of course. 

Think about it though – how many women would excel in the tech space but never find out because they feel such a career path isn’t for them? How many products didn’t get created as a result of their absence? How many more didn’t get the improvements they so desperately needed?

In a recent study of 1.4 million Github code changes, such suggestions for change by women are more likely to be accepted by men – but that’s only if the fact that these suggestions are made by women who do not reveal they are women.

“When their gender is identifiable, there is a decrease in acceptance rate by 16.1 percent, demonstrating a bias against the perceived ability of women in tech,” SWAG reports.

More important stats… Women in tech are 45% more likely than men to leave the field within a year, SWAG notes, referring to a 2014 Harvard Business Review study noting this statistic.

Sarah Noyes, Director of Diversity & Inclusion at SWAG says, awareness of such issues is the first step towards enacting change.

TMC is working to raise awareness of such issues as well via its Tech Culture Awards program. It’s dedicated to bringing this kind of important information to light and recognizing those companies that are effecting positive change in the workplace.

We invite you to explore and participate in the TMC Workplace Excellence Award program including the Tech Culture Award, the Tech Diversity Award, and the Social Responsibility Award.

Together, we hope to build a more inclusive tech community, highly motivated to develop excellent products and services.