Sault Ste. Marie's Gender Equity Playbook A Study of Women in Tech
The intention of this playbook is to share the successes, challenges, and stories of women in tech in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and their ideas to support actionable change within the tech community. Download the full study, Canada’s Gender Equity Roadmap, at www.womenintechworld.com.
Driving WinTech is a community-based research initiative that brought together diverse stakeholders from Canada’s tech communities in order to uncover the experiences and stories of women in tech. The initiative featured a series of research activities, including Community Conversations engaging participants in individual and group discussion.
Primary Research Questions • Who are women in the technology sector in Canada? • What are the successes and barriers experienced by women in the technology sector in Canada? • What are community-driven recommendations for creating more gender-diverse and inclusive technology communities across Canada?
WOMEN IN TECH WORLD - CANADA'S GENDER EQUITY ROADMAP
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Voices from Canadian Tech Communities: Research Participants Our research participants are from over 30 tech communities across Canada, large and small. This playbook represents a subsection of the research outlining what was said by participants in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. This snapshot compares the voices of 89 research participants in the Sault Ste. Marie tech community with 479 research participants from throughout Ontario. While it gives us an important glimpse into the community, we recognize that the findings may not be reflective of all views.
Driving WinTech, we invited participants that self-selected into one of the following groups: (a) woman currently working in tech (technical or non-technical role), (b) woman who recently left the tech industry, (c) ally or advocate of women in tech, or (d) other stakeholder in the tech industry. Our full approach and results are outlined within Canada’s Gender Equity Roadmap: A Study of Women in Tech.
Throughout the research, the term “women” includes all womenidentified people. For the purpose of Participants' Position (Primary Domain) Opera tions / Human Res ources, 4.5%
I identify as a/an: a dvoca te/ ally for women in technology, 16.85%
s ta keholder in the tech i ndustry (i ncl uding government, nonprofi t, educational orga nizations or s ervi ce providers), 17.98%
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woma n who recently l eft the tech i ndustry wi thin the last 5 yea rs , 2.25%
Mul ti ple, 4.5% Compl iance, 2.2%
Bus iness Development / Sa l es, 7.9% Product Ma na gement, 7.9%
Project Ma na gement, 1.1%
Technical Role, 31.5%
Cus tomer Support / Cus tomer Success, 9.0%
woma n working in the tech i ndustry (tech or non-tech rol e), 62.92%
WOMEN IN TECH WORLD - CANADA'S GENDER EQUITY ROADMAP
Ma rketing / Communications, 13.5%
Other, 18.0%
What's Working: Regional Perspective Sault Ste. Marie
Ontario
• Support from local employers for women working in the tech industry • Accessible online community and self-learning programs • Networking events • Technical learning resources at the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary levels
• Opportunities to access mentorship • Technical training, including learning to code • Community support and networking • Leadership training • Learning opportunities on-the-job
While these supports vary across the Sault Ste. Marie tech community, the list is extremely valuable.
What's Not Working: Regional Perspective Sault Ste. Marie
Ontario
• Lack of women in leadership • Lack of guidance; family, parents, teachers, and guidance counsellors telling girls they are incapable • Sense of isolation in a maledominated industry • Gender stereotypes • Lack of family friendly/parental policies at work, especially for field work travel
• • • • • • •
Lack of coding experience No industry exposure Low funding for women programs Implicit bias against women Lack of self confidence in women Gender stereotypes Wage Gaps
I'm always the only girl or working alone. In high school, I was the only girl in computer science. In university, I was the only girl in my graduating class. In the workforce, I was always the only girl programmer or the only programmer. It’s lonely.
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No matter where in the world [...] I am constantly met with unnecessary barriers, non-work related put downs, illegal sexual harassment [...] It makes me feel wrongly incompetent, unappreciated, devalued and underestimated. [....] It is so difficult to fight against this negativity.
It feels so hard to break into tech for an older woman. [I] recently had the chance to be reeducated and the tech field was not even brought up as an option.
Sometimes the challenge is about the work and it is exhilarating and exciting. Sometimes the challenge is about the work environment and it is hard, frustrating, annoying, and upsetting. Work mom, work wife, too aggressive, too loud, too quiet and more colourful language.
Being a new grad and starting out in a tech company, I've quickly learned that the tech world especially in the north is quickly expanding and growing which makes it an extremely exciting field to be working in.
Build Your Plan: Ideas from the Road
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Sault Ste. Marie
Ontario
1. Women-focused networking opportunities in the community 2. Local mentorship events 3. Tech education in core curriculum 4. Build awareness about jobs in the tech industry with girls 5. Initiatives within school to educate teachers and guidance counsellors on how to encourage young girls in math and coding
1. Mandatory STEM education in schools 2. Role models for young girls 3. Promote technical careers in elementary school 4. Host women-focused networking events in the community 5. Provide a transparent work culture by opening your books, showing your salary scale and making sure everything is equitable.
WOMEN IN TECH WORLD - CANADA'S GENDER EQUITY ROADMAP
Acknowledgements
Publishing Information
Canada’s Gender Equity Roadmap: A Study of Women in Tech is a testament to the Canada's tech communities and we want to acknowledge everyone who shared their expertise and time to build it. From our incredible community of volunteers, women in tech, and allies who dedicated thousands of hours to #DrivingWinTech Canada, to our community partners, sponsors, and crowd funders for the generous support. We thank you all.
No part of this study may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief passages quoted in critical articles and reviews with citation. For more information, visit our full study at www.womenintechworld. com. Date of Issue October 2018
Supporting Women in Tech World To learn how you can support Women in Tech World, please contact: Partnerships, Women in Tech World Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada e: partnerships@womenintechworld.com w: womenintechworld.com/donate
Thank You To Our Local Sponsors
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