Increased commitment for diversity needed

Over the last couple of years, you may have noticed an increased dialogue and attentiveness in the media around the lack of diversity in tech, mainly the gender gap. However, the discussion hasn’t translated into results and data is showing a widening gender gap across the industry. Despite this, we are seeing an increased commitment for diversity in tech from several organisations, but we need more. NZTech Women is helping lead the charge and I’m proudly part of this inspiring group. As Eva Sherwood recently highlighted, we have come together from all facets of the tech sector to make a real impact through several key initiatives.

Promoting diversity starts with encouraging girls at school to participate in STEM fields through initiatives such as ShadowTech Day, to educating our colleagues and workplaces about real biases that exist and how we can all play a part in curbing them. Regular networking events and forums also bring unparalleled benefits, not only creating awareness but inspiring real change across the spectrum of gender and age.

We recently read this feature, highlighting that depressing gender stats don’t attract the next generation of girls into tech, but inspiring stories do. Personally, I have been truly inspired by the leadership stories told by women in tech and everyday by my colleagues at Parrot Analytics. In fact, the growing list of inspiring women in New Zealand shows that there is no shortage of stories to tell!

Our fast approaching TechWeek’17 is an excellent avenue to be inspired by such stories at events like Breaking Stereotypes; An Insider View of Women in Tech, She# Lightning Talks and more! The entire week itself presents numerous events showcasing the future of technology and what it brings about in terms of career options. With the rate of technology refresh increasing, I believe it is incredibly important that we are involved in the conversation and prepare ourselves for the careers of the future.

We look forward to keeping you updated on everything NZTech Women through our regular NZTech Women blog series. For new event listings, sign up for the NZTech weekly update, it’s free and will take less than a minute! Follow us on @NZTechIA , #NZTechWomen, Facebook and join our LinkedIn group.

Dil Khosa
Operations Manager
Parrot Analytics
@dilkhosa