Women Engineers and More

This week I had the pleasure of attending DevPulseCon hosted by CodeChix. It was impressive to be in a room with about two hundred of the smartest minds in Silicon Valley. There were presentations about choosing the right database for the application, DC/OS, and IoT. It is important to note that all of the attendees and presenters were women. Women who freelance, sit on boards of OpenSource projects, start MeetUps, maintain technology communities, organize conferences, begin StartUps, and pioneer research on technologies I can barely begin to understand. They do all of this on top of their day jobs.

I was a part of two panels focused on discussing the difficulties women face in the technology industry. For those that know me, I’ve never been a fan of “playing the woman card”. I’ve always believed that I’ve gotten to where I am in my career because I am the best for the position. And this is true. My personality and drive has allowed me to overcome the situations that might have deterred others. But it doesn’t mean I haven’t had my own challenges.

Over the past few weeks through conversations with many women whom I respect, I’ve had my eyes opened to the fact that even though I might have thought these obstacles aren’t really there, they are. Yesterday, I was once again reminded how many women truly are discriminated against and thought of as “less than” just because they are women.

There were discussions of pay inequality, team dynamics, general disrespect, and even managers believing that the women didn’t do the work themselves simply because they weren’t men. These weren’t stories that I could dismiss because I read it on the internet and felt removed from the author. These were real women struggling with these issues today.

I’ve gained even more respect for the women that live through this silently to maintain employment, support a family, or to obtain a visa. Know that you aren’t alone. If you are someone who believes that this isn’t real or it doesn’t happen at the company you work at, you are wrong. It is 100% real and as big of an issue as ever. It might be happening to a woman on your team, one you sit next to, or one you see in the halls.

None of us have a magic wand or a simple answer to solve this immediately, but we can all do something – speak up. This isn’t ok. This behavior isn’t humane. It is wrong. Approach this subject with the most compassion and understanding you can muster. Take the time to evaluate your behavior. You might think you’re not someone who perpetuates this environment, and maybe you aren’t. But maybe you are. How do you speak with your men colleagues versus your women colleagues? What does your body language show? Do you do your best to be inclusive at all times? These questions apply to everyone, including women.

I write this blog with a heavy heart. But I am also determined. I’m a Chief Technologist at one of the most respected companies in Silicon Valley. I am the only woman Chief Technologist in the company. I was the first woman Field Principal Engineer. I will continue to advance my career because I love what I do – the technology, the problems I get to solve, the companies I help, and the people I meet every day. But I will also advance my career for every woman in this industry, the ones considering this industry, and the ones who gave up on this industry. I will do it for all of you. I believe in each and every one of you. Together, and by together I mean every single human being, however you identify or don’t identify your gender, can fight this.

If you feel alone and don’t know who you can reach out to, please contact me. If it isn’t me, find someone you trust. You aren’t alone.