自1950年以来，参加劳动力的妇女百分比从大约三分之一到大约60％稳步增长，据劳动统计局统计。¹沿途，多年来，妇女在历史上实现了巨大的进步 - 即使在历史上男性主导的领域也实现了平等的代表，例如商业，法律和医学。Progress has been slower, however, in STEM industries (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).²This is particularly true for the fields of engineering, computer science and physics.

考虑到这一点，很多人想知道究竟是什么让女性从技术领域取得成功。这是缺乏机会，至少部分地基于性别歧视吗？或者是女性候选人根本没有寻求技术的立场吗？围绕这个话题有很多考虑和解开。

Join us as we dig into the facts surrounding the gender gap in technology and speak to three trailblazing professionals who spend their working days proving that the damaging stereotypes about women in technology are wrong.

Why are there so few women working in technology?

A study conducted by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) has looked into the facts surrounding women in STEM fields. The report sought to answer the ever-important question, “Why so few?”

有人发现，除其他贡献因素之外，茎田中妇女的大部分欠代表性直接与童年时期所经历的学习环境相关联。该报告表明，例如，关于茎田的女孩能力的负面刻板印象可能实际上会影响学生的测试表现。²

Fast-forward to adulthood and we’re seeing women hold about a quarter of all jobs in the technology sphere, despite there being no clear difference in their capability as compared to men. Even still, women are not only hired at lower rates than men, but they also leave the tech industry at reportedlymore than twice the rate男人做。³

Of course, there are a lot social and cultural issues at play when examining why women haven’t found an equal footing in the tech industry. Both overt and latent sexism have played a part in making the road for women in tech difficult. Harassment, general disrespect and the potential for fewer opportunities areall documented可能让一些妇女对该领域犹豫不决的问题。

虽然科技产业的历史并不总是借给性别平等的，但是在技术中有许多熟练和热情的女性，致力于支付这些趋势并使前进的新方式。考虑这三个鼓舞人心的女性的故事。

3 Women in tech who are breaking barriers

与所有在te女性面临的潜在障碍ch, does it take a superwoman to succeed in the field? You may be surprised—the following women in tech claim no superpowers but all have made excellent strides in the field. Read on to learn more about their experiences in the field.

1. Software developer overcomes fears in her rise to the top

Alena Kastsiukavets discovered a passion for writing code when she was in high school. “My father accidentally bought a CD-ROM with a basic course on software development in Visual Basic™, and I spent all evenings exploring the CD,” she reminisces. “This was the moment when I finally realized software development is what I wanted to do in life.”

Kastsiukavets现在是一个领导.NET开发人员ScienceSoft。事实上，她是45名专家团队的三位女性开发人员之一，唯一一个先进的领先地位。但她并不总是看到一个成功的技术职业作为她的选择。

“In the beginning, I almost gave in to the general assumptions that girls were ‘bad at computers’ and not welcomed in this male-dominated field. I was really afraid that it could be the wrong choice and I would not ever be able to succeed in my chosen profession,” Kastsiukavets recounts. She considered some alternate career options, but ultimately chose to follow her dream despite the gender-related barriers that stood in her path.

Generally, she says, people are surprised when they learn that she’s a software engineer, but Kastsiukavets was happy to see that most of her fears about joining the tech industry quickly dissolved once she was able to prove her abilities. She notes that developers who are truly above-and-beyond skilled in their professional work are rare. “I’ve proven to have stronger skills than many [other] developers, and this helped to earn respect among my colleagues,” Kastsuikavets says, adding that the experience has also helped to boost her confidence.

长期技术专业人员会产生全球影响

Near the start of her career in the banking industry during the 1980s, Paula Sanders found herself working with word processing workstations as they first entered the enterprise. After teaching an adult night school class in Electronic Word Processing, she landed her first full-time IT job. “I had a natural talent for understanding how products and technology worked and developed strong relationships with colleagues and customers,” Sanders says.

那时，很少见到女性专业技术角色。“当时，我记得努力快速获得对产品和相关技术的广泛和深刻了解，以便”证明自己“对我的男性同行，”桑德斯回忆道。并证明她自己 - 但是当她开始家人时，另一个障碍呈现出来。

While she found that taking time off to raise her young children was an easy decision, it proved difficult for Sanders to jump back into her tech career. She found that a lot had changed in the world of technology during her five-year hiatus, but she also knew that her approach didn’t have to mirror the beginning of her career.

“In the early days, I felt there was a constant need to prove myself, and I went above and beyond to obtain an equal presence and ensure that my voice was heard,” Sanders says, explaining that she now feels she’s on more of an equal playing field and has gained the respect she deserves from male colleagues.

Now working as the vice president of global customer enablement atABBYY, Sanders is resolute in her choice to pursue a career in technology. “I truly feel that working in technology brings goodness to the world,” she maintains. “The solutions I’ve sold and delivered over the years make people more efficient and effective in their work.”

3.自学式技术Maven在利基市场中为自己提供了名称

Gaby Roman did not get her start in technology. After studying film in school, she worked as a post-production video editor in New York City. But a seemingly small idea for a new app changed everything for her.

“At the time, I knew absolutely nothing about building applications or software, but I was determined to build a working version of my app without having to outsource the whole project to an agency or developer,” Roman says.

经过很多时间学习，测试，故障排除和重新测试，同时尝试构建她的应用程序，她开始意识到她喜欢做那种工作。“有一件事导致了另一件事，我现在正在运行一个完整的商业教学非技术学生如何建立自己的软件，”罗马透露。她是联合创始人Coaching No-Code Apps。

As a female entrepreneur in the tech industry, Roman has faced her share of hurdles. “I’m the only woman I know of who’s running this type of business. It’s very male-dominated,” she says, explaining that it can catch certain types of people off guard because they’re unaccustomed to a woman teaching them about tech-related things.

Looking back, Roman can acknowledge how far she’s come. “When I first started out, I placed myself at a lower standard than I really should have. I didn’t know my own value, to be honest,” she recounts. “After about a year working in the space, though, I decided to make a big change—both in how I looked at myself and how I presented my business. The gender gap has only spurred me to push past these ‘boundaries’ with more and more force.”

你会激励自己的技术成功故事吗？

您可能会发现自己对技术有前途的职业生涯的想法，但您不断受到技术与技术性别差距相关的统计数据和意见。如果是这样，让鼓舞人心的故事像上面那样突出的三个突出的故事有助于提高你在掌握技术的男性主导行业成功的能力。

Feeling motivated to take a step toward tech? There are a number of different paths to pursue within the umbrella of technology. If you’re looking for help in narrowing down your options, check out our interactive guide “哪种技术学位适合我？”

¹劳动统计局，美国劳工部，妇女在劳动力之前，期间和之后的伟大经济衰退[2019年3月访问]https://www.bls.gov/spotlight/2017/women-in-the-workforce-before-during-and-after-the-great-recession/pdf/women-in-the-workforce-before-during-and-after-the-great-recession.pdf
²American Association of University Women, Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics [accessed March 2019]https://www.aauw.org/files/2013/02/Why-So-Few-Women-in-Science-Technology-Engineering-and-Mathematics-executive-summary.pdf
³The Atlantic, Why Is Silicon Valley So Awful to Women? [accessed March 2019]https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/04/why-is-silicon-valley-so-awful-to-women/517788/