The Power of Inclusion: Unlocking the Potential of Women in Technology

Author

Patricia Torner Moscardo

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Search “inclusion” in the dictionary and words like community, equity, and value appear. Its definition already gives us some hints about how to embrace it and nurture a sense of belonging, a key element of inclusion.  

Picking up on community, there are many ways to describe a community. Some people call it family, in the business world, its team. Humans weren’t built for a solo life, being part of a team gives us a sense of belonging and purpose and teamwork encourages open communication, ideas-sharing, and collaboration towards common goals.  

At the core of any successful team is the creation of inclusive spaces where people can show up as their authentic selves. This requires a culture of respect and empathy, where everyone feels valued and encouraged to share their unique perspectives and experiences.  

In essence, inclusion means embracing every individual, every idea, and every voice. 

Practical Steps to Foster a Culture of Belonging 

Easier said than done, right? So where do you start? How can you inspire inclusion in the workplace? It starts with taking small steps that can lead to big change.  

Begin with what you have around you, most probably your team and …  

• Get to know them: Take the time to understand your colleagues, not only on a professional level, but also on a personal one. Building these connections helps create a healthy atmosphere and contributes to a better work-life balance for everyone.  
• Let everyone have a voice: Practice active listening. Pay attention to what your colleagues have to say and support them in gaining confidence. Building trust in communication is key.  
• Celebrate success and learn from failure: Acknowledge achievements and normalize experimentation. Every success and failure is an opportunity for growth. 
• Encourage change with bidirectional communication: Foster an environment where feedback flows freely in both directions. Identify what’s working well and collaboratively address areas for improvement. 

Understanding and Advancing Inclusion in Tech 

Living in the era of continuous change, the tech industry is used to reacting fast, being creative and putting innovation at the heart of everything we do. Doing this well requires diversity – of people, of ideas, of solutions.  

The tech industry has long championed the ‘team player’ model, emphasizing collaboration, open communication, and collective problem-solving. It just hasn’t equally championed diversity, resulting in only 26.7% of tech-related jobs being held by women even in the 2020’s, with women of colour even less. This disparity does not reflect the diverse societies the industry serves. Given the rapid advancements in technology, the availability of new tools making it easier for teams to work together, and flexible working arrangements, inspiring inclusion should be easier to achieve.  

Yet, fostering inclusion goes way beyond mere obligation or meeting quotas – it’s the key to unlocking the full potential of teams. By embracing diversity of all kinds, businesses can access more innovative solutions, cultivate happier employees, and drive greater success. However, while collaborative environments naturally thrive in IT, inclusion shouldn’t be assumed or taken for granted, but actively carved out. 

It’s in everyone’s hands to inspire inclusion and create awareness of its importance with belongingness and respect front and centre. Only then we can show our true potential. Only then, we can pave the way for greater representation of women in IT and break down the existing barriers. 

In this, “we” becomes the new “I”. 

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