ITJ strives for gender parity

March 9, 2022

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“ «Women are not strong developers», Come on! We have what it takes to be strong developers. Don’t be afraid of taking risks, don’t be afraid of not being perfect, don’t be afraid of being the only woman in the room. It is up to us to take our seat at the big table and show the world how amazing women developers are solving the problems of the future! ” — Maritza Diaz, Chief Executive Officer of ITJ

For International Women’s Day 2022, we want to uplift women to pursue their goals in technological careers. The task to forge women’s equality, not only in salaries but in responsibilities in decision making, is something we can all do consciously. We can all consciously break the bias.

Long ago, with the leadership of Clara Zetkin, the first International Women’s Day was celebrated in 1911, and protests were held across Europe, attracting more than 30,000 women. Collectively, not only a community was created but a voice towards gender equality was born.

But, statistically we realize that 72% of women in tech say they are outnumbered by males in business meetings by at least 2:1, while 26 percent say they are outnumbered by 5:1 or more, according to this study. An absence of female representation in technology might stifle a woman’s potential to excel in the field. Unfortunately, women in tech are accustomed to a lack of representation – 73% of women claimed they have worked at a business where “bro culture” is “pervasive,” compared to only 41% of males. 

Between 2018 and 2019, the percentage of women in senior leadership roles increased from 21% to 24%, according to IDC. That’s excellent news because having women in high leadership roles has been shown to improve female employee retention and engagement. Female employees are more likely to stay with a firm for more than a year, experience better job satisfaction, and believe the company is trustworthy in organizations where women hold 50% or more senior leadership roles. 

In honor of International Women’s Day and this year’s campaign #BreakTheBias, ITJ collected distinct points of view from amazing women from around our organization. 

When we asked, «what would a world free of gender bias mean to you?» they said:

“A world where people are being recognized for their intellect, ideas, and ability. In my team, I honestly don’t distinguish between genders. I guide myself according to what each one can contribute and their determination to learn” — Isabel Santos, Software Engineer Manager 

“A world where everyone is equally encouraged, respected, valued, and heard, regardless of gender. I do feel inspired by my female co-workers, seeing them striving and being recognized for the value they provide” — Rachelle Reyes, Developer

“A world where you are not afraid to be yourself. I am a firm believer that by attempting to view things from the perspectives of individuals who are not like you and critically evaluating your own biases, you can form better and more efficient teams.” — Paula Diaz, HR Specialist

Without gender equality, an innovative and sustainable future remains beyond our reach. With that statement in mind, ITJ drives and delivers several initiatives to train women in STEM and incorporate them into our organization. Our mission is to build the finest software engineering teams in the Americas, valuing predictability, quality, and innovation with gender parity. We are about to launch a new Bootcamp for women in April in collaboration with Women Who Code, an event for women by women to meet a career development and mentorship in software engineering. 

For techtalks and training, we are also collaborating with Women Who Code Tijuana, an international non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring women to pursue technology and programming careers. At ITJ, we acknowledge the fantastic community we have and our ultimate goal is to achieve a 50%-50% balanced ratio in our workforce. 

Diversity is critical in tech. Remain confident that your role is imperative in the tech industry. For women to be in a male-dominated industry for so many years, a gap has turned clear, but it is a bias that all of us can break.