Conquering spaces: step by step of women in tech

In March 2019, NASA proudly announced that it would be responsible for the first spacewalk with the participation of female astronauts only. It would have been a turning point to women in science, if the historical event never had not been canceled due to a lack of costumes manufactured in the correct size. This episode is an indicative of the invisibility of women, since there was no structure and previous preparation to embrace different body types. The original idea was for the astronauts Cristina Koch and Anne McClain to go together on a six-hour space mission. Their goal was to install lithium-ion batteries to improve the lab’s power supply.

Besides that, the problem began when they realized that there was only one suit of the appropriate size to suits a female body. This resulted in team change, which would now consist of one woman and one man. The news was reported by the newspaper “El País”, in the text “NASA cancels two women’s first spacewalk due to lack of costumes” (2019), published in the week of the event.

These incident and other situations could be avoided with greater participation of women in the fields of science and technology. Historically, men are the majority in this field. According to the CNN Brazil website – in the article “Women conquer space in the technology sector, but inequality still reigns” (2020) – only 12.2% of jobs in the area are fulfilled by female labor. The fight for less gender inequality is not recent one, but it should be discussed and ensured whenever possible.

Since the beginning, women have been responsible for inventions and technologies that have revolutionized the way of living in society, and their active role is still indispensable today, as will be discussed below.

Historical participation and importance of women in I.T.

The first woman to play a notable role in technology was Ada Lovelace, considered the world’s first female programmer. Also, she contributed on the development of the so-called analytical engine, and described what is now known as the first algorithm capable of being processed by a computer. Many technological studies were only possible due to her discoveries.

In addition to being notable inventors, such as Hedy Lamarr (who kicked off the development of wifi technology), or Margaret Heafield Hamilton (who developed the flight program used in the Apollo 11 project), they increased diversity of perspectives. This happens because women have unique female experiences, which lead to different stream of thought and, consequently, new ideas and solutions. The scenario becomes even more relevant when considering that technological problems reflect different aspects and demands of different social groups.

“There’s social pressure on women’s behavior, this is why breaking stereotypes is so important. Within the work environment, it is necessary to use the different skills that everyone has, emphasizing what is best and in how can each one contribute”

– Lucia Cleia, IT and Business Coordinator at Klabin.

Numbers of women in Science: the current scenario is not equal

The study “An x-ray of Brazil’s data professionals“, published by Data Hackers in 2024, highlights the reality that society often turn a blind eye: Brazil is still far from treating women as it treats men.

Fifty-eight percent of female respondents’ report having their experience affected while still in the job search phase. In the survey, the major reasons are related to the number of vacancies that are access by them, speed and opportunities for career progression, and mainly the validation received by co-workers on a daily basis in women’s’ opinions and ideas.

The essay goes even deeper and search the difference between work experiences in the field due to other diversity factors, such as ethnicity:

Regarding career opportunities, the study shows a picture of the positions held by genders, considering the data panorama in Brazil:

When it comes to salary, it is clear that the pattern of inequality remains (here the effect of the intersectionality of gender and color/race/ethnicity are also considered):

This reality, however, is not a static photo. It is the consequence of a long journey that humanity chooses to trace, each time it reinforces a stereotype, invented by itself.

Technology That Belongs to Man: a stigma That Sets Society Back

The low female adhesion in the field of technology can be explained by numerous reasons. A study conducted at universities in Mexico, called “STEAM as a tool to encourage engineering studies” (2019), shows that the motives for the under-representation of women in this area start in college, these are:

Hostile environments and cultural pressure according to traditional gender roles;
Doubts, both from one’s own and others, about one’s personal ability to do tasks;
Absence of female role models to be followed in sciences and engineering;
Majority of the male vision in the development of projects;

“The I.T. market is mostly male, so women are always put in check. It is necessary to show that you know and dominate everything about a subject, and also deal with the resistance of men who are not used to being led by women.”

– Lucia Cleia, IT and Business Coordinator at Klabin

These stigmas have their origin culturally. In addition, within the history of sexuality, a wrong theory has been developed saying that men are more “technical” and “logical”, and that women are more “emotional” and caring.” According to the article “Masculinity in History: The Cultural Construction of the Difference Between the Sexes” (2000), men’s activities were directed to the social, political and economic world, while women’s activities were restricted and were limited only to the domestic world of the family itself.

As “modern times” has arrived, women gained a certain space in the job market, but they could not give up on the home chores. This resulted in a double workday, if not triple, because in addition to working and being a housewife, it was necessary to remain competitive and always have an extra degree. The impact ricocheted across the board, including IT, which is still most occupied by men.

“What prevented me from studying and working in the IT area earlier was the myth that I wasn’t enough only because I’m a woman. Society leads women to believe that men are more skilled, more logical.”

– Michele, Tech team at ST-One

‘Where are these people who are part of society, but are not here yet?’

Among the reasons that women are attracted to the technology area are: the theory studied itself (stemming from an interest in computer science concepts), its practical application (how it is possible to solve problems and make a positive impact with the acquired knowledge) and social and cultural issues (the need to break the stereotypes associated to women and computer science).

Despite this attraction being the reason for the increased demand in the field, there is still much to be done to heighten the number of women in IT positions.

When opening a position, use language that encompasses all genders, making it clear that the company is open to diversity.
Highlight women working in tech, giving voice to representation.
Encouraging the training of women professionals for the technology market, through education and networking programs.
Establishment of a career plan focused on women, aiming at leadership positions.
Ensure the participation of women in key positions in the decision-making process.

“I realized the need to look at the team, regardless of where I worked, and realize how it was in terms of diversity. When it comes to vacancies for the Tech area, I think ‘Where are these people who are part of society but are not here yet?’. So, in the processes in which I am part of, I already open the job vacancies focusing on trying to repair these inequalities caused by the structure of our culture”

– Larissa, recruiter at ST-One (click here to discover our vacancies)

Conquering spaces: step by step of women in IT