Women and Diversity in Tech
The GSMA NA Women4Tech Technology Group provides a forum where all member stakeholders can openly discuss issues and new solutions. Goals include mentorship, sponsorship and education.
Learn more about the North America Technology Group in the InfoCentre.
View highlights from our very first North America Women4Tech Regional Interest Group Summit.
Our Women4Tech Technology Group Quarterly Topic:
Q2: Building the pipeline though mentorship and sponsorship
To change the equation there is now a stronger need to create the worlds’ strongest pipeline of women in management. By enabling future women leaders, we will unlock their potential and increase the talent pool.
One of the greatest catalysts for change with regards to representation of women in technology has been through concerted efforts by current female and male leaders to offer mentorship and sponsorship to younger female workers. These mentorship roles provide much-needed guidance and career counseling to women in tech eager to advance through the ranks while navigating the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated world.
We can all inspire women through mentorship and sponsorship throughout their careers to provide the workforce with a blueprint, so they can benefit from being a gender diverse organization. We also need men as agents of change to become everyday champions of women at work, driving organizational strategies for greater balance.
The pool for top candidates is seemingly small and competition to attract them is fierce. So, we must of course remember, diversity and inclusion cannot just be done on a whim. Aspirational goals must be set. And if a culture doesn’t include or develop diverse employees, then you won’t be able to sustain a diverse workforce in the long term. Collectively, mentorship and sponsorship can accelerate the pipeline of extraordinary diverse talent in tech.
Q1: Changing the equation through innovation and digital tech solutions
The Fourth Industrial Revolution along with other socioeconomic and demographic factors is creating a business model change in not just tech and our own industry, but in all industries. It will also affect female and male workers differently and transform the dynamics of the industry gender gap. So how do we change the equation for innovation when we consider this. New categories of jobs will emerge, and current jobs will be partly or wholly displaced. The skill sets required in both old and new worlds will change and transform how and where people work.
As we feel the impact that disruptive digital technologies and the Internet are having on human beings and the way we live, work and interact, this also encompasses the full range of economic and social issues, including employment, education, social policy, law and regulation, artificial intelligence, ethics, security, privacy, and the role of social media in shaping our world view.
According to McKinsey, companies report that organizations are highly committed to gender diversity. But that commitment has not translated into meaningful progress. The proportion of women at every level in corporate America has hardly changed. Progress isn’t just slow. It’s stalled.
We will build on our thoughts of the business strategies needed within the industry to reduce the gender gap and to help move the needle on equality.