As we celebrate the contributions of women to society at large and the workplace in particular during Women’s History Month, it’s important to acknowledge the gravity of the work we still have to do. In industries like technology and finance, women remain underrepresented in technical roles. Women in software engineering roles have only increased by 2% over the past two decades. Great disparities exist among women of color in computing roles. Of the 25% of women with technical roles, Black women hold only 3% of computing jobs, and Latina/x women represent only 1%. 

I want to highlight differences in representation among women of color because the intersection of race and gender affects the realities and experiences of women in the tech workplace. It’s not helpful to discuss women’s experiences in aggregate as if women are a monolithic group. Intersectionality – the notion that dimensions of identity are linked to creating unique experiences of oppression or privilege  – is an important concept in diversity, equity, and inclusion. It addresses the differences between experiences of women from marginalized identities as being distinct from those of the dominant group. There is ample data that show differences in the experiences and outcomes for women across racial and ethnic lines. Racialized women experience pay disparities, lack of access to mentorship, sponsorship, and promotion opportunities. 

In designing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs to promote gender equity in the workplace, an intersectional lens into race and gender is warranted. Let’s take pay equity as an example. While it’s important to conduct a study of pay and bonus differences for similar roles and credentials, it’s equally as important to look deeper along the dimensions of gender, race, and class intersections, specifically for women of color. In doing your gap analysis, look beyond the numbers and identify the root causes of pay differences. Consider various factors that affect decisions about compensation. If compensation is tied to performance, examine how biases in the evaluation process may be impacting women of color, particularly those with the least representation.    

Intersectionality has applications to building an inclusive and safe work culture. A recent survey reveals that a worrisome 40% of women in tech careers have reported being sexually harassed by a supervisor or an investor. In many workplaces, Black women are disproportionately affected by sexual harassment, which is a symptom of toxic masculinity culture that often goes unchallenged in predominantly cisgender male organizations. In the tech field, this has contributed to the alienation and marginalization of people of color and others with diverse identities. 

Women are socialized to protect the male ego, and they are often rewarded for doing so. Toxic masculinity not only poisons workplace cultures but also does lasting harm to lives and livelihoods. Similarly distressing is the persistent trend of toxic femininity, a coping strategy that women employ to gain approbation from men and move up the ranks. In the workplace, women exhibit toxic femininity through backstabbing, undermining the efforts of other women, refusing to support female colleagues, and blaming victims of workplace harassment.

The #MeToo movement has helped to bring some of these issues to light, but more needs to be done. Women can do better to support each other in overcoming myriad challenges, including calling out the toxic elements of workplace cultures. In the context of tech, it may seem daunting to go against the grain of a majority white male workforce and leadership. These work environments will only get better if women use their voice and power to speak up and take action against inequities.

The WTIA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Center of Excellence offers a comprehensive suite of services to support your efforts in creating more inclusive and equitable cultures. We can help you strategize around DEI goals that support diversity recruitment, retention, and organizational development. Our offerings include data benchmarking, micro-learning, training resources, leadership development, and executive coaching. Learn more about our offerings here.