On International Women in Engineering Day, we celebrate the incredible contributions of female engineers. One such woman is Deepa Kuppuswamy, Information Security Architect at ManageEngine. With a career spanning over two decades in the tech sector, Deepa has emerged as a passionate champion for gender equality.
“Having worked in technology for more than 20 years, I’ve observed many talented female engineers rise through the ranks and excel in their careers. But despite the progress we’ve made towards reaching gender parity, the tech industry still has a long way to go.” Kuppuswamy said.
“Record numbers of female leaders are leaving their jobs, with research from McKinsey showing that for every woman at a director level who gets promoted, two choose to leave.
“The reversal of flexible working practices is definitely having an impact on women leaving the workforce. Flexible working reached the height of its popularity during the pandemic, but it still has a very positive impact on work culture. Given in the majority of cases women are primary caregivers, this kind of flexibility goes a long way in attracting and retaining talented female staff.
“Unconscious bias is also a challenge. Managers might assume that women cannot or do not want to take a promotion, for example, after taking maternity leave. Rather than making these assumptions, I think it is vital that businesses and the women themselves are not afraid to have open conversations about career goals.
“My advice for women looking to enter the tech industry and become engineers would be to build their network and be open about your goals.”
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