The 44% and Why They Matter to Inspiring More Women in Tech
By Julie Elberfeld, Senior Vice President, Shared Technology and Executive Sponsor of Diversity and Inclusion for Technology, Capital One
When I started my career in tech in the ’80s, women were represented in much higher numbers. Over time, though, that number has declined. When you look at career longevity, there is data indicating that nearly 56 percent of women drop out of tech by the 15-year mark.
It’s something we discuss a lot in the industry, and rightfully so, but I think we are missing another important question:
What about the 44% of women who stay in tech?
People often ask me what I am most excited about in my work supporting the Women in Technology initiatives at Capital One. While the specific response may vary, the theme is always the same: elevating the positive stories of women technologists.
We don’t hear enough about the women who are driving breakthrough innovation and leading large tech teams and bringing new products to market. While there are certainly challenges to be addressed across tech to solve for gender parity, there are also welcoming company cultures and exciting career opportunities that don’t get enough attention. A recent NCWIT report shows women who stay in the field report more opportunities for training and development, support from a manager, and support for balancing work and other competing responsibilities.
As part of the 44% who stayed in tech, I’m committed to sharing the positive stories and facilitating new ones. I fear that without this inspiration, we paint a picture that will continue to discourage women and girls to stay in or enter a meaningful and rewarding career.
A few of the things that recently caught my attention and gave me hope for the future are:
1. More than 29,700 female students took an AP computer science exam in 2017, a 135% increase from 2016 and a dramatic increase from the 2,600 female students that took the exam 10 years ago (Source: Code.org). Participation by black and Latino students increased by 170% since 2016, to more than 22,000. These gains are fastest growing among the population of students taking AP computer sciences, which doubled last year to more than 111,000. (Source: USA Today)
2. #WITBragDay became a nationally trending topic on social media when Github’s Alice Goldfuss recognized that women in tech needed a bright moment during a difficult week, and motivated thousands of women to be their own best advocate and share their successes. It was nothing short of inspiring to follow along with the conversation. If you haven’t already, search for #WITBragDay on social media and I promise that you will see real stories of women in tech today, and hope for the bright future we have.
3. While not a new initiative, an ongoing effort that I love from our friends at Women Who Code is Applaud Her. Women Who Code encourages women to confidently share their achievements and celebrate each other by sharing them on social media with #ApplaudHer, as well as in person at their events and network meetups.
My mantra remains: technology is all about finding solutions, and that’s what women do best — we solve problems. The women I work with at Capital One remind me of this nearly every day. From Kathy O’Donnell’s problem-solving with data science and AI to Kaylyn Gibilterra’s passion for spreading the Go programming languages to Mave Houston’s deep expertise in Human Computer Interaction, I am convinced more than ever that women make such an important contribution to technology.
I look forward to seeing even more examples of this at the Grace Hopper Celebration in Orlando in October. If you’re one of the more than 18,000 planning to be there, I encourage you to seek out role models within tech across all kinds of industries and find the stories that will inspire you. Take the time to make meaningful connections and broaden your network. You never know who you’ll learn from, or who you’ll inspire with your own success.
These opinions are those of the author. Unless noted otherwise in this post, Capital One is not affiliated with, nor is it endorsed by, any of the companies mentioned. All trademarks and other intellectual property used or displayed are the ownership of their respective owners. This article is © 2017 Capital One.
