Dear Tech Companies: If you build it, will they come?
Each story in our Dear Tech Companies series focuses on issues in the tech space and provides strategies and solutions to companies looking to invest in meaning solutions that will drive impactful industry change and make the industry more accessible to Black, Latina, and Native women.
You’ve heard the saying before: “If you build it, they will come.” But when it comes to creating programs that support race and gender equity in tech, that’s not necessarily true.
We hear all the time about high-quality, compelling programs — from one-day hackathons to after-school programs — that are well-intentioned and certainly provide on-ramps for women of color to gain computing skills. But these one-off initiatives often don’t address the greater barrier to representation in tech that has been decades in the making: that Black, Latina, and Native American women do not often feel welcome in technology spaces.
This starts early. Women of color switch out of STEM degree tracks at higher rates than other competitive degree tracks. Why? They often anticipate feelings of exclusion and discrimination. It’s been shown that women avoid STEM majors because they are concerned about anticipated gender bias — one reason why women make up only 11% of the tech workforce. Simply anticipating discrimination causes women of color to steer clear of STEM careers, so it’s not hard to see why Black, Latina, and Native American women are so underrepresented in tech (they make up 5% of the tech workforce, to be exact).
Technology spaces have for decades been ones where women, especially Black, Latina, and Native American women, have been — or felt — unwelcome, and building programs will not immediately fix this. Tech companies need to be mindful of systemic barriers and build programs that both acknowledge and undo these underlying issues. Without addressing these systemic issues, simply building programs that promote diversity in tech isn’t enough. If you build it, Black, Latina, and Native American women won’t necessarily come.
If your company or organization wants to ensure that women of color feel welcome in the tech sector, consider how your programs can address their concerns. Here are three things tech companies must consider when building and implementing programs aimed at increasing female Black, Latina, and Native American representation in tech:
- Thoughtful program design. This may seem obvious, but it is crucial that your program resonates with the audience you are trying to reach. The Kapor Center’s work to expand digital pathways for Native American girls is a great example of culturally relevant programming. If your program is trying to reach Black, Latina, or Native women, it needs to consider gender and race barriers to computing — and then it must work to remove those barriers. Consider that girls are less likely than boys to be exposed to computing as kids. It’s impossible to move forward without acknowledging where we’re starting from. Hackathons may seem helpful, but have you asked your beneficiaries whether they do, too? Are they necessarily the best way to introduce people to computing?
- Visible teachers and mentors. A key part of building a welcome environment? Teachers, instructors, and program leads that look like the demographic you want to engage. Yes, your program can succeed even if it isn’t run entirely by people from the community it serves — but you will be much more successful if you spend the time, energy, and money it takes to build partnerships with organizations truly embedded in those communities. This may take extra time and resources, but having visible representation makes a huge difference.
- Marketing is key. In order for women of color to want to engage with your programs, the marketing has to resonate with them — and reach them. Are you recognizing the unique experiences of Black, Latina, and Native American women rather than viewing women of color as a monolith? Do your marketing materials include images of the demographic you wish to reach? Are you advertising on the platforms where your target demographic spends time? In a historically non-diverse sector, thoughtful marketing goes a long way towards creating a welcoming space.
Considering these three factors allows us to show up for women of color in ways that promote long-term equity and not short-term fixes by authentically prioritizing an atmosphere and culture of belonging. Let’s design diversity programs that create meaningful pathways into real tech careers, especially for Black, Latina, and Native American women — not just ways for companies to promote themselves or to check a box.
