Despite progress in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (the ‘STEM’ professions), women make up only 26.7 percent of tech-related jobs and only 16.5 percent of engineers, when the U.S. labour market is considered. In addition, these sectors see more than half of women leaving the technology industry by the mid-point of their career. This is a far higher rate than seen with men.
What can be done to improve upon these statistics? With 15 years in the engineering field, Janaki Nagabhushan, Quality Assurance Engineer at Poll Everywhere, has seen a wave of change sweeping through the industry.
Though change is in the air, Nagabhushan still sees a need for greater gender diversity. The extent of change and the future direction is captured in Nagabhushan’s summary of her career, as she has explained to Digital Journal.
Nagabhushan says: “Having gained experience in both India and the US, I have witnessed a positive shift towards greater gender diversity within the engineering field. It is encouraging to see a significant increase in the number of women engineers who aspire to contribute to development teams, surpassing the limitations of solely engaging in testing or staying in the background. This shift has been highly encouraging for the future of women in engineering.”
There is some way to go before anywhere near to parti is reached. Nagabhushan comments: “However, despite these changes, it is unfortunate that instances of negative experiences based on gender continue to occur.”
Considering her own experiences, Nagabhushan adds: “I have personally encountered situations where being an outspoken woman in an engineering workplace resulted in missed opportunities and limited exposure. Past experiences have revealed favouritism, wherein project options were initially offered to male co-workers as a priority, only later extending the opportunity to the women on the team.”
In terms of advice for women entering STEM professions, Nagabhushan says: “It’s important to remember that in these situations, it’s not fair to blame yourself. Instead, it is necessary to learn how to navigate these challenges in future encounters. Supportive managers and leadership teams can play a large role in addressing these issues.”
The best advice Nagabhushan is to turn to others who have made the transition and learn from them. Here she recommends: “Throughout my 15 years of experience, I have had the privilege of working with exceptional female managers who have been a great source of inspiration. They have dedicated their time and effort to mentoring and guiding me not only as an engineer but also as a successful female manager in the field.”
This leads Nagabhushan to conclude: “It is imperative to establish better access to mentors and leaders who can support all employees. Raising awareness is essential in the fight for equality within the field, as we need diversity to flourish and thrive.”
