The road to success is not easy: My personal story as a woman in tech

In my 23 years working in the IT industry, I have been fortunate enough to be blessed with very supportive coworkers and managers. I would not be the person I am now if not for the guidance and faith they showed in me throughout my journey.

All that said, I have had my fair share of facing certain disadvantages due to my gender.

Stereotypes and gender bias against women are common in organizations all over the world. Many women deal with unfair evaluations, salary gaps, and unequal opportunities.

When I came out of my graduation and entered the IT industry, I felt that it would be a cake walk for me as I was a topper and had all the needed skills to do the job well. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

During the initial years of my career, I faced biases even though I was a skilled engineer. Many of my coworkers did not think highly of me simply because I was a married woman with a child. Persistent biases that depict women as less capable or assertive hamper the advancement of careers. This was further compounded by the general stigma around married woman having to balance many responsibilities of a caregiver, which led to me not receiving the same opportunities as my male counterparts. My ideas were often overlooked until a male counterpart reiterated them, after which they were instantly approved. I had to work harder than the rest to prove to my managers that I could manage both work and personal responsibilities, and that they could trust me with more important projects.

When I switched companies in 2009, I was hired as the first and only woman on a team of 50 people. My manager broke the stereotype and hired me to lead a team of men. He saw the potential in me and always provided me with equal opportunities and exposure as any other male member of the team. I was assigned several critical projects, which played a pivotal role in the trajectory of my career. All thanks to this, no one has doubted my capabilities ever since.

Another aspect of gender discrimination that I want to mention is the lack of pay parity. One main reason I experienced pay disparity was my lack of strong salary negotiation skills. I have learnt through my experience to be confident in my worth and demand what I deserve. I have observed that this is a common situation among many women. Although it is getting better, there is still ample room for improvement.

My Elsevier experience

When I joined Elsevier, one of the first things I noticed was the company’s refreshing culture and outlook towards empowering women. The kind of support and encouragement they provided to enable women at workplace made me feel very welcome and right at home. It was very inspiring to see women in top leadership roles. And I can say for certain with my three years of experience here that I truly believe Elsevier is one of the best places to work, thanks to the diverse and inclusive environment it provides.

At Elsevier, we work towards improving our gender ratio through a variety of initiatives, including global efforts to hire a more diverse workforce. We also provide support for women employees through various mentoring and career development programs to inspire them and give them the support and confidence to grow. And finally, we measure our progress. For example, two years ago, we started publishing our annual Elsevier inclusion & diversity data snapshot.

I would like to conclude by saying that equality cannot start at the office unless it starts at home. I am grateful to my family for supporting me throughout my career and special thanks to my husband for his continued support, encouragement and empowerment. And I want to extend my gratitude to my managers for opening a plethora of opportunities for me.

I strongly believe, “The hand that rocks the cradle can rule the world!”