Limited Mindsets Prevent Women from Participating in Tech Communities – Temilade Adelakun
Limited Mindsets Prevent Women from Participating in Tech Communities – Temilade Adelakun
Tech communities are critical to the sector, and those on college campuses have proven to be both foundational and pivotal for many young people. These communities frequently host free training sessions and forums where anyone interested in technology can gain additional insight.
It was the case approximately five years ago when a tech group arranged a training session on frontend web creation at the University of Ibadan's Mechanical Engineering department. Adelakun Temilade was one of the attendees at the training, and it was to mark the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in her life.
Google Developers Club
Temilade is currently serving as co-organizer of the Google Developers Club in Ibadan and as the Women Techmakers Ambassador in the same city. The Google Developers Club is one of the numerous technology communities available to enthusiasts at post-secondary institutions. Additionally, the Developers Student Club, the Google Developers Club, the Institute of Electrical Engineers, and DevCareers.
While some of these communities may sound technical, they are open to people from all walks of life who share an interest in technology. They provide an environment where people can learn, collaborate, grow, and network with other technologists, which Temilade took advantage of.
Despite these communities' efforts, the gap between men and women inclusion in the tech space remains large. Temilade, as a woman in technology who has been an active member of tech student communities, agrees that one of the major challenges is that women join communities but do nothing to change their mindset that "tech is not for women."
The Majority of Women in Tech Communities Succumb to Stereotypes
There are enough stereotypes to keep women out of technology. Mindsets such as "Tech is too difficult for women," "Coding is for men," "Women are best off as nurses," "Women cannot do tech because they are weaker," "Women are emotional and technology is analytical, so they will not get along," and other restricting phrases are plentiful.
I heard a story about a lady at an internship program who was assigned a role to complete alongside another lady and a man and was having difficulty completing the task. 'I don't believe this is for me,' she said. After all, they have told me that technology is not for women and that coding is difficult.'" Temilade explained.
As she reflected on her beginnings, she noticed that when she attended tech events and meetups while in school, she was always asked ridiculous questions such as, 'Are you sure they're looking for people like you?' ‘Are you going there to find a man?' and so forth.
She concluded that some of these mindsets quickly infiltrate women's minds and subconsciously affect or dictate their success in technology communities. Since these mindsets are acquired at some stage, they should be unlearned and new ones developed.
As such, tech groups will improve their performance by bringing in more women in technology to observe, converse with, and encourage younger females to pursue STEM careers. There is nothing wrong with men teaching people how to code, but if we want more women to pursue careers in technology, we should see more women teaching technology.
“When all we see are men, we begin to believe that there are no competent women in the sector. Women role models should be highlighted more in tech communities,” she said.
Scribbling her Codes
One of the difficulties that women in technology societies face is a shortage of funding. Having access to a good laptop and the internet is critical when learning new technology ability. Students seldom have that.
“I did not have a personal laptop when I began learning to code in my first and second years. I was always stealing people's laptops while they weren't using them,” Temilade explained.
She would jot her codes down on paper, bring them to her university room, and run them on her roommate's laptop when it wasn't in use. “I photographed or noted the errors I encountered and worked on them until the codes worked properly. Without these tools, people can learn less from tech communities.”
She also stressed the importance of sponsorship, noting that women mentored and venturing into technology may struggle to progress without it. Additionally, women-led technology companies need increased funding and sponsorship from investors to ensure that more women grow as mentors and supporters for the next generation.
Tech communities will always focus on coding tools instead of no-coding tools.
No-coding technology is an area of technology that is rapidly gaining popularity. Zoom recently awarded a grant to Kabakoo, an edtech startup that teaches students in Africa no-code technology skills. Among these no-code tools are Zapier, Bubble, Adalo, Wix, and WordPress.
However, it is not gaining traction in most tech communities, Temilade says, in part because coding skills are more critical for those looking to advance in the space.
“While no-code tools make your job simpler and quicker, if you want to advance in the tech world, it's best to have a firm grasp on how coding works. You don't even need to learn how to use no-code resources from tech groups. Although video tutorials will assist you in creating a software product faster using no-code tools, you can do much more when you are fluent in coding,” she explained.
Improving one's coding skills requires realistic implementation of the coding snippets learned each day. For a young lady learning to code, cloning famous apps such as YouTube and Twitter, Piggyvest, and Cowrywise, among others, can hone her coding skills, help her develop a portfolio, and boost her morale when collaborating with others.
However, things are improving in the tech industry, and there are more women now than there were a few years ago. The disparity between men and women in the industry is narrowing. We must continue to raise consciousness about technology so that everyone understands that men and women should be equally involved.
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