Hosting A Women in Tech Event at Yubo: A Collaboration With OutGeekWomen

Modern economies rely on technology to drive innovation and shape the future. With the tech industry always at the forefront of critical problem-solving, it is surprising that the lack of women in tech remains an issue. According to the Women in Tech Survey 2023, women make up only 26% of people who work in IT. The gender balance in the industry has certainly seen some improvement since 2019, when women made up only 19% of tech employees, but it is clear there is still a long way to go.

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What prevents women from finding roles in tech?

There are multiple obstacles for women looking for their next role in the tech world. Some common grievances are the biases women face in male-dominated fields, a toxic “bro culture” that sometimes plagues the tech industry, the lack of inspirational role models and mentors, as well as a gender pay gap.

Gender Stereotyping

First of all, there are still some lingering biases when it comes to tech, such as it traditionally being a male-dominated field. It begins as early as childhood when boys are encouraged to pursue sciences and maths, while girls can be pushed into other fields, often humanities. Studies find that there are few gender differences when it comes to studying maths at school, so why is there a gender gap when it comes to studying sciences later in life? Arguably, this problem, at least partially, boils down to the need to conform – as children grow up, they become more aware of the stereotypes associated with femininity and masculinity, and learn to lean into them more.

Lack of Role Models

The importance of role models and mentors in any given industry cannot be overstated. Finding a person in your field who you can look up to can inspire and assure you that your own path is possible. However, with only 26% of women working in tech fields, it can be challenging to find a female role model. It also means there is less advocacy and support for young women in tech by older female experts.

Gender Pay Gap

The pay gap is another obstacle for women trying to make a career in tech. Pay discrepancy is a universal problem for most industries, and the STEM field is, unfortunately, one of them. Researchers find that women in tech earn up to 28% less than their male colleagues, and only 8% of tech businesses were found not to have a gender-based pay discrepancy at all. Moreover, there can be limits to a woman’s career progression in tech, fuelled by gender stereotypes and biases.

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Why is diversity in tech so important?

So, why do we believe that lack of women in the tech industry is a problem? Similarly to underrepresentation in other fields, employing a uniform workforce can lead to some complex issues. Innovation thrives in environments where varied experiences, backgrounds, and viewpoints are shared and discussed. In other words, a lack of diversity often impedes innovation. Diverse teams are also better suited to creating products that are more inclusive of a broader audience.

Additionally, with AI taking the world by storm, it’s already been noticed that a lack of diversity among developers is leading to the creation of biased algorithms that are failing when it comes to recognising non-white or non-male faces. Unsurprisingly, only 22% in the employees of AI-related fields are women, highlighting the need for more diversity in tech.

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What is Women in Tech?

At Yubo, we’re dedicated to closing the gender gap in tech. Right now, 33% of our team are women, with 53% of those in leadership roles, including our Head of Finance, Head of Legal, Head of People and Head of Safety. But we know there’s always room to grow - and that’s why we were happy to host the OutGeekWomen in Tech event at our headquarters in Paris!

Partnering with OutGeekWomen in Tech, we hosted a dynamic evening of networking for women in dev, product, data, and UI/UX on October 24th, 2024! Our aim was to create an innovative, inclusive, and empowering space led by talented women from across Paris. With over 70 women in attendance, it was a night filled with dynamic conversations, knowledge-sharing, and career insights. We were thrilled to showcase Yubo – our work, our team, and our office – and having a few leading tech companies join us made it even better!

At the event, Margaux Liquard, our Head of Safety, represented Yubo and opened the event with an inspiring keynote. She shared her journey, touching on the personal challenges of balancing motherhood with career growth and reflecting on her professional development at Yubo, where she and her team are building a safe, global platform for our community. Margaux also spoke about the support structures that make workplaces more welcoming for women, such as flexible and remote work options that enable a fulfilling work-life balance – even in fast-paced fields like tech. Her talk was a powerful reminder of the steps a company can take to support women in tech.

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In conclusion

With this event under our belt, we’re even more excited about future opportunities to actively promote equality and support women in tech – at Yubo and beyond. Events like these are about more than networking – they’re a chance to uplift each other, build connections, and push for meaningful change in the industry. As Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code, said, “Tech is for anyone who wants to shape the future.” If shaping the future speaks to you, Yubo invites you to join us in making tech more inclusive and amplifying female voices across the field. Together, let’s create a more diverse and empowering industry for everyone.

In the meantime, feel free to check out our blog posts on supporting women-led businesses and how Yubo contributes to raising awareness about breast cancer.