Reflecting - Celebration of Women's History Month
As we close out another March, marking the end of Women's History Month, it is extremely important to express why this month is so important. In this blog, I will touch on three main points: women have been pioneers in technology, particularly cybersecurity; however we are still underrepresented, and finally, what can be done to close the gaps.
Women pioneers in tech have long been overlooked. From the Hidden Figures of Bletchley Park to Grace Hopper, we have been at the forefront in the cybersecurity space for decades and continue to receive little to no credit for these innovations. Grace Hopper designed navy computers and hacked enemy communication systems while men were fighting in battle. Her resilience broke major barriers for women in technology, opening possibilities for every position in every industry. Being self-taught was a necessity during a time when there was little-to-no time to learn.
Because women like Grace Hopper carved a path for the next generation, you would think the gender gap is closing. However, we are still far from gender equality in the workplace. In fact, according to Statista, women only hold around 25% of technology positions in the United States. Additionally, TrustRadius reports that in 2021 the ratio of men to women in engineering was 5:1. This fact is astonishing considering one of the first coders was a woman!
Women's voices are louder than ever and, by promoting women in technology and coming together as a community, we have an opportunity to close the gender gap. This is not only a fight for women - this is going to take major effort from everyone, man, woman and gender neutral. We need to band together to ensure the social, political and economic equality of the genders.
Closing the gender gap in cybersecurity not only empowers women, but can aid the cybersecurity skills shortage and even the global economy. TechRepublic reports that closing the cybersecurity gender gap “would boost the US economy by $30B.”
In order to eradicate the gender gap issue, there are some steps we can take:
Mentorship: Offer mentorship to women who are aiming to break into the cybersecurity world. If you are looking to begin your career in cybersecurity, search for a mentor.
Men are just as important as women in this fight. Invite men to join women empowerment groups.
Join a community. Communities offer great opportunities for support and networking.
Here at SafeGuard Cyber, we aim to do our part by managing a strong community to help support women who are in tech and those who aspire to be. This group is called Vision & Voice and I highly encourage you to join and invite your friends, male or female, to come support our efforts to uplift women and close the gap.
Vision & Voice Monthly Coffee Chat - Sign up
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