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We Don’t Need More Female Role Models in Tech
We need more female leaders
I remember the moment a female software engineer called me a role model to my face. I remember it vividly to this day because so many emotions hit me at the same time. I probably flinched at the word. I felt flattered but also embarrassed. And I felt sorry and sad. Sorry, for the young, intelligent, and aspiring woman to think that, out of all the people in the world, I was some sort of role model. And sad, that the expectations women had for a career in tech were so low.
This was a long time ago. I was “just” a Senior Software Engineer. I was “just” leading small projects and “just” mentoring a few engineers. At the time, I remember thinking that maybe, one day, I could become a role model.
But as I’ve progressed in my career, I’ve moved further away from that idea. Or, more precisely, I strongly prefer not to be a role model.
Rethinking the Role Model Narrative
Last year, I was shortlisted for some awards. One of the questions I had to answer during the process was: What makes you a role model? The answer I wanted to put down would have been simple: Nothing.
The first dictionary definition that comes up for the term is this: “a person looked to by others as an example…
