Why African Women Don’t Reach The Peak Of Their Careers
Google’s Diana Wilson
Paying for expensive tuition can be a tough nut to crack for many African-Americans raised by single mothers. Diana Wilson, on the other hand, was the recipient of numerous scholarships, which enabled her to study and travel financially.
Among the organizations from which she received scholarships are Coca-Cola, Bill Gates, and Echols. Her outstanding academic performance throughout High School and University paved the way for her to receive the financial aid she required.
Diana was one of several students from the University of Virginia who visited Google as part of a Google team. This paved the way for her to apply for a position at the tech giant.
Wilson is passionate about the global economic system and has traveled to 11 countries on four continents as a result of her scholarships. As an African-American, the African continent held a special place in Diana's heart, and she became interested in the obstacles that prevent African women from reaching their full potential in their careers.
Now a Googler and the founder of Yielding Accomplished African Women (YAAW), she told me in a virtual interview that African women "are extremely intelligent, but we need to be more aware of the opportunities and possibilities available to us in career fields such as technology and finance."
Yielding Successful African Women is a rapidly growing career community and online academy dedicated to assisting African women in developing their careers.
More needs to be done to address limiting African cultures
Apart from not being exposed early enough to the benefits of various career fields, they lack an understanding of how to enter those fields. Women-led organizations such as She Hacks Africa, YAAW, and others are disseminating information about how women can enter these fields.
Still, more needs to be done at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels to help women understand the ever-expanding career field and how to break into it. As someone who benefited from scholarship education, Diana is confident that more women can find their way into fulfilling careers if they have access to opportunities similar to those she had.
Excursions to companies in a variety of fields are an excellent way to introduce women to these opportunities in technology and to provide guidance on how to get started from their current position.
“I believe that we Africans as a culture have failed to adequately monitor what we say to and teach women, as well as what we continue to push them to do with our words as they grow older. It is a massive problem,” she added.
Cultural bias continues to perpetuate the belief that women have no place in STEM, preventing many women from entering the field. In previous issues of Women in Tech, women shared instances when they were told they weren't cut out for tech simply because they were female.
At every level, in homes, schools, and other settings, there is a need for proper orientation to ensure that women can pursue meaningful careers in technology and other fields and excel. Environments that actively encourage and enable more women to pursue careers must be created.
Harassment is a major factor against women getting to the top
To reach the pinnacle of a career, one must have constant access to training, resources, and other enablers. However, access to this training is sometimes contingent upon the woman succumbing to sexual harassment.
“Many people are averse to discussing abuse. It can range from verbal to physical and sexual abuse and is extremely prevalent in workplaces and universities,” Diana added.
She continued, referring to the film Citation, "the story of women being sexually abused by superiors is very familiar to many people because it occurs at all levels of the workplace."
A combination of innovation in company policy and structure is required to prevent these incidents and nip them in the bud if they occur, allowing the woman to obtain what she requires without stooping to new lows.
Women shouldn’t have to choose between family and work
Women are more family-oriented and natural caregivers in the home. And as a result, they have been conditioned to believe that their primary, if not sole, responsibility is to care for their family. Diana, on the other hand, is adamant that women should not be forced to choose between family and work.
“We recognize that individuals with disabilities may require specific tools to succeed. Nobody disputes the necessity of a ramp for wheelchair users. It is a matter of accessibility,” she stated.
For the majority of women, reaching the pinnacle of their career without feeling secure in their family robs them of fulfillment. Rather than that, a more wholesome work environment that allows women to work and be mothers should be embraced.
For instance, establishing a child daycare center or night evening care within the company should be encouraged for mothers with young children or those who are required to work late for any reason. This will alleviate the woman's anxiety and enable her to compete more favorably with her male counterparts in the workplace.
Remote work is gaining traction, as is the importance of maintaining a'respectable' appearance in areas where the camera captures one's profile. What happens, however, when a child enters the meeting room or screams from outside, "Mommy, I need to pee?"
While every effort should be made to create a calm environment conducive to a work from home model, it should not be considered taboo or a sign of irresponsibility if the child wanders into the room where the company's virtual meeting is taking place.
Diana concluded, "Women are incredibly intelligent." And they should not have to apologize for working and juggling situations that are unique to them as women.
Courses and Certification
Human Computer Interface Course and Certificate
Customer Service Tech Course and Certificate
