Why Do Women Not Take Up More Leadership and STEM Roles?
When you ask about the gender pay gap and why there aren’t enough women in decision-making roles, the first thing people tell you is that women rarely take up these opportunities.
Last year, I read Ayisha Osori’s book “Love Does Not Win Elections” detailing her experience while running for a position in the Nigerian House of Representatives. Her goal was simple — to be able to influence policies that could help bridge gender inequality. In addition to the corruption and lobbying she had to manoeuvre in the process, she detailed the constraints she had to deal with as a woman.
From finding out about several unofficial meetings happening in the dead of the night, to being able to drop everything for a last-minute meeting. Things that wouldn’t be possible if she had to cater to children and a husband. Which is interesting because to keep up appearances, you were also required to have a traditional home and manage to balance both.
There are also the cultural aspects. Although I am fairly young, I remember my female classmate running for Student President and being told over and over again, that she would not win that election. All because, she would be speaking on behalf of traditional men who wouldn’t want or respect a woman as a leader.
The entire department except a few people, were willing to accept a mediocre man over a highly competent woman, just because of her gender. The pressure was so intense, that it escalated and there were threats on her life until she settled for being a Vice president/ running mate. This is what it means to get a leadership position as a woman. To struggle twice as hard, face more challenges and finally settle for a position, where a man takes credit for your ideas and hard work.
We see these in STEM roles as well. Where women have to constantly prove themselves worthy and their contributions are constantly downplayed. It’s why more women talk about dealing with imposter syndrome. These constant pushbacks, negative affirmations and cultural blocks are why women are discouraged from taking up these roles.
In tech, there has been a recent debate on women having diversity programmes that provide an “advantage”. There is also the argument that women do not use this “advantage” to go into core tech roles like machine learning and DevOps.
However, the perceived inequality of what it entails in the future being in male-dominated roles is what leads to the dismissal of these opportunities. Fortunately, many women face these challenges head-on despite what might eventually be in the way. This is why we need to teach men that these diversity programmes are not an unfair advantage but a path towards equity.
Recently while reading this article interviewing a Partner at Hoxton Ventures on why he hasn’t hired a female partner yet, he mentions that “There are not that many women who have come up through the ranks, who’ve learned the business that we can actively poach”. He goes on to state that he cannot mentor someone, or train any of the women who are two years away from getting to the level he wants them to be.
This notion already dismisses the gendered perspective a woman can bring to the table as an investment partner. Following his logic, do you think this Venture Capital would be open to seeing startup potentials that have women as its primary target market? Would they ever understand the opportunities female-led businesses have to offer even though a recent survey by the BCG shows that female-founded startups deliver higher revenue and exit sooner at a higher rate than men?
Fortunately, 35% of investment positions are women in 2022 which was up from 25% in 2016. This shows hope, that soon, there will be more women in these key decision-making processes. However, until these blockers are tackled from the grassroots of each sector, institution and industry, there will still be a gap regardless of the fearless women who take it head-on every single day.
