International Women's Day 2022 Live Updates: Women Tech Leaders on "gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow"

“Since the last decade, the IT industry has shown tremendous improvement when it comes to bridging the gender gap and empowering women through STEM education. This has encouraged women to join entry-level positions and make their way to the top, but we are nowhere close to equal opportunities when it comes to women in intermediate management levels and senior leadership roles. As per the latest NASSCOM report, with women constituting more than 36% of the total talent pool working in the IT sector, India's IT industry is among the largest private-sector employers of women. Organisations need to formulate an intentional and continuous approach to implement equality and better representation of women and this can only be accomplished by developing proper policies and a conducive ecosystem offering flexible workstyles, equal pay, child-care support, and empowerment through the right skill set and training. These proactive measures can help women ascend the IT corporate ladder and enjoy better opportunities for career growth.”

International Women's Day 2022: While, International Women’s Day is a day to celebrate and recognize the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women across; it is also an opportunity to make a strong call-to-action for accelerating gender parity. Women make effective, strong leaders and are definite change-makers for bringing about sustainability in businesses. Continuing to examine the opportunities, as well as the constraints, to empower women and girls to have a voice and be equal players in decision-making related to imminent issues, is essential for sustainable development and greater gender equality.

International Women's Day 2022: It is proven that tech companies that have more women in leadership positions deliver better returns and outperform companies with less diverse teams. As a matter of fact, Fortune 500 companies, with at least three women in a leadership position, recognized an increase of 66 per cent in ROI. Women in tech think differently, and it is reasonable to believe that ideas on the table are challenged. It enables teams to prepare better and anticipate alternative viewpoints. Both genders perceive challenges differently and bring unique ideas. When you bring to your company a diverse workplace (i.e. background, ethnicities), performance increases and new talents are more eager to join your team.

Sumegha Yadav, Senior AI Engineer, Bobble AI

International Women's Day 2022: "Women are now everywhere! In almost all the sectors and fields, across levels, women are simply thriving. I feel there is no stopping from here on, and that there is still scope left and many challenges to overcome. Women across the globe have been doing some wonderful work, not just for the businesses but for the environment as well. These fine women are leading by example and showing the world that women can do so much more! The younger generation of girls need to see and have more role models, who can inspire them and motivate them to elevate and flourish in life and take their career in the right direction."

International Women's Day 2022: “COVID has been a catalyst for some women’s careers. As working from home has been normalized worldwide, the added acceptance and flexibility for women and other caregivers to work full time while caring for loved ones will allow for the increased retention of women in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math). Many employees — both men and women alike — have had their children pop into their Zoom windows while in meetings, mine included, which has helped humanize working parents in an environment where other colleagues can relate to their challenges”.

"I think Indian women today are increasingly becoming more independent, confident and vocal about their choices. Women in this era are not afraid to portray confidence and potential. They are strong in choosing what is best for themselves, be it in education, technology or careers. In the digital space, I believe woman are content with the opportunities present such as music, art, crypto and content creation as they are safe and fair"

International Women's Day 2022: Advancing gender equality and inclusivity in the context of a sustainable future is one of the greatest global challenges of the 21st century. Women are increasingly being recognized as change-makers and Gender equality is being recognized as a precondition for promoting sustainable development and a building block of good governance. Without gender diversity & inclusion, a sustainable and equal future remains beyond our reach. At NEC, we have been working towards this goal passionately and have witnessed an encouraging 10% increase in female hires as compared to 2020 with a whopping 61% women covered in T&D. The attrition rate amongst the women at NEC has been significantly lower than the total attrition.

International Women's Day 2022: "I was bad at driving when I bought my first car. Every time I sat in the driver's seat, I felt out of place, but I kept at it. I got better with time and gained confidence. I was the first woman to drive a car in my family and even my entire village. When you don't see enough women in tech or leadership positions, it's not because they can't do it; it's probably because no one around them has done this before. All they need is a slight nudge and a voice that says - I can do it."

Women's Day 2022: Women have the power to bring transformation at a grass-root level. Their ability to empathize and influence can bring change at the core of communities, be it their families, schools, or workplaces. For a sustainable tomorrow, we need these change-makers. This women’s day let us pledge to empower women around us so that they have equal opportunities to play a vital role in making a better tomorrow. Without equal gender participation, a sustainable and equal future is distant.

Geetha Apathotharanan - Vice President Product and Platform Engineering, Ugam

International Women's Day 2022: Innovation and technology provide unprecedented opportunities for all and it is vital to create an environment that enriches and supports women to pursue those opportunities. We must equip them with adequate resources, giving them the power to uplift their families and communities. Women should have representation in all levels of the organization in order to create business excellence and a sustainable tomorrow. This women’s day let's empower women by creating equal opportunities and the next generation of leadership in our society.

Radha Basu, Founder & CEO, iMerit