The Women in Tech at PDMS: Amisha
Amisha Patel is one of our Test Analysts at PDMS. She discovered her love of technology during high school when computing and IT was relatively new. The excitement of this new and ever-changing technology is what piqued her interest and spurred her on to pursue it as a career.
In the lead up to International Women’s Day, we spoke to Amisha about the barriers to being a woman in the tech industry and what she thinks could be done to support diversity in the industry.
What do you think are the biggest barriers for women to enter the tech industry?
“The technology industry is perceived to be male dominated with well-known figures such as Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs. Therefore, women may feel less inspired to enter this revolutionary industry.”
Amisha discussed how in previous roles, most developers were male, as were those in senior positions. As the years went on, she watched more women move up the ranks into roles like Senior Business Analyst or Product Manager “but there were still very few women in more technical roles like development, which is a shame.” she explains.
“It is interesting because if you look at India, for example, there are a lot more women in technical roles. I do not know where the problem stems from in the Western World but maybe there just is not enough information out there that women have a place in technology.”
In the UK, despite 47% of the workforce being female, only 19% of the technology industry is made up of women. In India, however, women make up around 34% of the IT workforce and nearly 50% of STEM graduates.
What do you think is being done to support diversity and equality in the technology industry?
“In recent years, things have changed massively, with new generations being exposed to and using technology in everyday life such as tablets, laptops and interactive whiteboards.”
She adds that the increase in IT-based apprenticeships offered by companies provide more young people with the ability to gain hands-on industry experience without the need to go to university. Thus, giving young people of all backgrounds access and exposure to the industry.
“Although technology is the norm in our daily lives, I believe it’s important for the Government and educational institutions to keep promoting the wide range of opportunities within the industry through media, workshops, seminars and talks to encourage more women to enter the industry.”
What is your number one piece of advice for the future generations entering the tech industry?
“Never stop learning – knowledge is power! Growing up, my older brother would make a point that I, as a girl, could not do certain things. I would question this and then prove him wrong which is always a great feeling! You can do anything if you put your mind to it.”
techUK is marching forward to close the tech gender gap in 2023. Throughout March, coinciding with International Women’s Day (IWD 2023) on 8 March, we are exploring how we embrace equitable workplaces. The UN’s theme for IWD 2023 focuses on Digital for All or DigitALL, and we are proud to support this.
For more information, please visit our Women in Tech hub.
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