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Thursday 17th May 2012

Women And Technology: Winning Business Combination

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Women And Technology: Winning Business Combination

Posted by Guest Blogger 26 January 2012 Business |  Careers |  Technology |  Women |  Women in business |  Women in IT Like science and industry, men have for a long time dominated the world of technology. If we think of the terms ‘computer geek’ or ‘computer nerd’, usually an image of a studious, bespectacled man springs to mind. All that is changing, however, as entrepreneurship among women is on the increase and women increasingly engage with technology.

This is a truly winning business combination. Smart and talented businesswomen now have role models – people like Laura Wade-Gery, who as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tesco Online steered the company to become the first supermarket to make a profit from online sales, and then moved on to Marks and Spencer. Women no longer have to choose between work and domestic life – Marjorie Scardino is one of the longest-serving female Chief Executives of a FTSE company. She is also a former CEO of the Economist and has three children.

The field of technology is innovative and challenging, and women’s ability to embrace new knowledge and to enjoy multi-tasking equips them to be high achievers in the various technology business sectors. There are many communities within the field, and gregarious women find it is relatively easy to solve problems and also to supply answers for others. Communities and networks specifically for women in technology abound – one international group, which was originally founded in France, now has representatives from 60 countries.

Another reason why women do well in technology is their preference for collaboration rather than competition. Using a mobile phone or a laptop to share knowledge makes everybody stronger and more powerful, and this means getting jobs done more efficiently and effectively – everybody plays to their strengths, and the empowerment of women is accelerated.

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Social and business networking has taken advantage of new technology, such as the mobile phone and laptop that provides easy and constant access to Internet. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are established as important tools for marketing and making sound business linkages. Although women dominate the first two, they have been slower to position themselves on LinkedIn, which is much more of a business network. Women need to be more proactive about using it to further their business aims, and to support and appreciate each other’s skills and expertise. After all, creative women make great use of technology to design imaginative and attractive websites and write interesting and engaging blogs.

It is not unusual for women in technology to feel left out – for example, statistics discussed at Facebook Live's Women in Technology Panel last year revealed that although women make up half of the entire workforce in the United States, they are only one quarter of the total number of employees in technology; despite their leading role in entrepreneurship, they are leading only eight per cent of technology start-ups. Members of the panel felt that women need to celebrate their abilities more and give themselves credit for their important contribution to the technological field, such as insisting on equal pay with men when doing the same job. In this way, gender stereotypes can be overcome and more women in business will be found in the boardroom.
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