It’s no secret that across industries, women are frequently  underrepresented and underpaid. Specifically in the technology sector, companies continue to disproportionately underrepresent women – and even more so women of color. Although this lack of representation may be daunting and discouraging, we must continue to educate and empower young girls and women to enter these STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields to break the glass ceiling further and level the playing fields for generations to come.

Steps in Eliminating the Gender Gap in STEM Fields:

1. Accessible Education
   1. Offering and encouraging STEM education to girls from a young age is key to a diverse STEM workforce. As many young girls are pushed away from these areas of study, this lack of consistent encouragement plays a crucial role in seeing fewer women in industries and sectors like technology as they enter the workforce. By providing these resources and classes, we lead by example and encourage young women to follow their dreams of entering these fields with higher success and retention rates.
2. Encouraging and Living Inclusively
   1. Whether this be personally or professionally – and ideally both – we should all strive to live and engage with a diverse group of individuals. By including and encouraging this diversity, we make it a societal norm to expect those diverse individuals within our workforce.
3. Incentivizing Retention Rates for Diverse Candidates
   1. Without an inclusive work environment, it’s difficult for diverse candidates to feel comfortable and confident in their workplace. We must allow these diverse candidates to flourish with ease, as would any non-diverse candidate.

With gender equality, everybody wins.

Take a look at the following benefits, according to the Harvard Business Review, of embracing and encouraging equity and equality in the workplace:

• A diverse work environment attracts a diverse talent pool.
• A diverse workplace better reflects your client base.
• An inclusive environment encourages diversity in thought to help your organization grow.
• A diverse workforce is an indicator of a well-managed company for future investors.

Although our journey towards equity and equality continues to move forward, it is a consistent effort that we all must work towards. With the many benefits of an equitable world, we have much to look forward to and plenty of opportunities for growth!