Women only hold one-quarter of all tech jobs. Despite international conversations about gender diversity in tech, women are still underrepresented, underpaid, and often discriminated against in the tech industry.
The stories of women in tech remain largely untold – and it is in this context that a group of MVP women are making their voices loud and clear. MVP Women In Tech: The Untold Stories is a new monthly series where members can share their stories, interview women in the industry and discuss the process of becoming a woman Microsoft MVP.
The series began as the brainchild of Business Applications MVP Shannon Mullins, who soon asked Business Applications MVPs Mary Thompson and Kristen Hosman to join as co-hosts. Shannon says the inspiration came from the many stories and social media posts that reflect a lack of gender diversity in tech.
“I have not attended MVP Summit yet, but have heard the female ratio was low. I felt it was time to help make a difference and encourage other women to be bold enough to know they are good enough to be an MVP and encourage other women to get into tech,” Shannon says.
“It is so important to be honest, raw and real. As women, we tend to hold in our emotions and feelings and bottle them up. If you bottle up your emotions, change will never happen. I feel that we as a community of women and the men supporting us can come together and try to bridge the gap of what is really happening in our daily lives as MVPs and Women in Tech. We truly hope to inspire those who don't feel they are good enough!”
“I think as we continue to have a voice and share our stories that other women will be brave enough to do the same,” Kristen adds. “So many women are told to ‘hush’ or to ‘remember a situation differently’ to keep their job. I want every woman to feel comfortable to share their story, good or bad.”
Business Applications MVP Kelly Gustafson, who spoke at February’s webinar, says it is vital that women have a place where they can connect and share their experiences. “I have been fortunate in my success and have worked very hard to be where I am in my career. I want to be a role model for women and an advocate for other women’s success!”
Importantly, these women are not alone in elevating their untold stories. Business Applications MVPs Steve Endow and Ed Gonzalez are but two of the group’s male members and say it is vital to give these stories an audience.
“Having more of the individual journeys shared will better illuminate the obstacles encountered,” Ed says. “This, in turn, will improve the odds of those obstacles being minimized, if not removed entirely.”
“Also, I hope to learn as much as I can. Not only about the trials faced by women in everyday business, but I also want to hear the successes as momentum builds around new, and better, gender paradigms.”
For more, visit the group’s MeetUp and Twitter.
