By: Carolina Pérez
It has always caught my attention the fact that I’ve never seen many women in technology. It’s just more common to see a guy programming, I don’t want to say that there are few or no women in technology but it is noticeably different between the two.
A few months ago, I went with some coworkers to the Blockchain Summit LATM in Santiago, Chile. As soon as we arrived I realized there were very few women, I probably saw no more than fifteen, including the models working at the event. This was probably the first time I really felt that this field is mostly dominated by men, not to mention that cryptocurrency itself is still very underground.
The future is being created hand and hand with new forms of technology. It is important for women to step into technology especially now that it has advanced to cryptocurrency and blockchain. I believe women must step up in this field because it is the future and the future should be developed by both men and women where both needs are heard.
According to Karen Catlin, an American tech executive and advocate for women working in the technology industry, she claims that the lack of women in technology has to do with discouraging them in the early stages. Women are more associated with other fields while men are being encouraged in early stages to participate in science, math or being known as gamers, making them more familiar to technology. Thus, women lack the incentive, therefore when deciding to introduce themselves to this field later in life it can be overwhelming.
The U.S Department of Labor Statistics did a study that reveals that U.S businesses are projecting to hire by 2022, 1.2 million computer science workers in the U.S. This high number is another reason why women should join this work field.
I’ve never been in touch with technology until I began working in a cryptocurrency startup, it has made me more aware of this subject. I believe being a woman and learning about cryptocurrency and being surrounded by it, is like a needle in a haystack especially in Chile. Even though the country has made headway for efforts within the crypto community.
Regarding this survey about women in crypto, Medium suggests that, “Some experts say this is because women are more risk-averse than men, and that’s a major reason why they are less represented in the speculative world of cryptocurrencies” I do agree with this because crypto is so volatile and surrounded by speculations that it is a financial bubble. On the other hand, I believe it makes sense that there are less women in cryptocurrency than men. Crypto and blockchain are still in the early stages and most of it is difficult to understand if you are not a technology enthusiast. Not being familiar with technology or cryptography makes it harder to wrap you head around this niche. Thus, considering that globally there are fewer women than men in this industry it is not a surprise that fewer women are involved in this crypto world.
Whatever your beliefs regarding this matter, I believe that efforts must be made to make this a more inclusive field. Yes, things have changed throughout the years as women are more empowered in different industries. Nonetheless, in early stages instead of giving girls a Barbie doll, parents should give them different options so later in life they can choose the career path they prefer.
Hope you enjoyed it, feel free to comment.
Originally posted on DavinciCodes.net
