"I always believed that one's woman success can only help another woman's success"- Gloria Vanderbilt

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My high school offered a class on CISCO Systems to fulfil electives for graduation. I took the class to learn something new and outside of my comfort zone. The course was one that girls in my school did not typically enroll in. This is because demonstrating an interest in computers and hardware was viewed as "nerdy" by my female peers. Therefore, I was not surprised to see that I was the only female student in the class on my first day.

I did very well in this class, specifically, I successfully completed the physical aspect of the exam. Despite being proud of my accomplishment, I could identify areas for self-improvement.  Yet, I received differential treatment from my male peers when I requested their feedback. For example, when my male colleagues received feedback, it was constructive and authentic. By contrast, I received minimal critique on my work. It seemed that my male peers were reluctant to criticize me in fear of causing me emotional pain. Instead, they would say “good job,” regardless of my work’s true quality. This idea presumed that because I was a woman, I was unable to receive criticism.

Women are no different than men. This is because women can do the same work and produce the same outcomes as their male counterparts. However, women do not receive the same treatment (i.e., equal pay, respect) as men. As per my example, I received diluted feedback compared to my male classmates due to my presumed fragility.

It's important to address the issue of gender discrimination in the field to dismantle its occurrence within small- and large-scale companies. Here are some examples of sexism that women in the tech and interactive media industry experience:

Unequal treatment 

Not only do women generally get paid lower, but their bonuses are smaller. Moreover, women are less likely to be promoted than their male colleagues in the same field of work. Consequently, society suggests that women are "fragile" and therefore, unable to manage difficult tasks. At Uber, female engineers sharedthat the tasks given to them were "less meaningful, challenging, andimportant," compared to the tasks assigned to their male co-workers.

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Choosing between their dignity or their career

No one should have to choose between their self-respect and passion. A lot of women in the field feel like they must choose one or the other. Yet, either choice presents negative consequences. If women defend their dignity and speak up, they receive backlash from the community. For example, Ellen Pao and Julie Ann Horvath are women who spoke out to the public about their mistreatment. Yet, they were harassed and threatened for doing so. If women remain silent, they continue to be treated unfairly. Conversely, if they speak out, they are silenced through intimidation. Both consequences harm women’s physical and mental wellbeing. 

Not having enough support in the field and in getting more women into the industry

Support is important because it positively impacts an individual experiencing hardship by validating their feelings. When Julie Ann Horvath shared the discrimination she faced during her employment at GitHub on social media, her female GitHub peers challenged her statement. Specifically, they stated that they have never experienced gender discrimination in the company. The lack of support Horvath received from her female peers for her experience disparaged her credibility. Vidya Narayanan, an ex-Google tech lead, also feels that there aren’t enough women helping women in the industry. Perhaps, established women in the field feel that others must face the challenges they did to grow thicker skin? However, explicitly speaking up and supporting fellow women not only lets them know that they are not alone in their circumstance, but gives them the power to speak up for themselves. 

After identifying some of the challenges that women face in the industry, I realized that there's a common thread between them--a lack of support. Support from companies for women, support from society, and even support from women for women. It's not to say that there are NO supports available for women, but I believe that there aren't enough. 

There needs to be support from companies. They need to eradicate the discrepancies in salary. They need to realize that by having equal pay for their staff, their staff would not only be satisfied and content, but it'll also be good for the business. Companies should also support women employees by creating a safe place to allow them to speak about their concerns. There should be no tolerance of any form for harassment in the workplace. Women should not feel like they're unsafe around the people they are pursuing a passion alongside. 

I also believe that having more women in the field of tech and interactive media will help in diminishing discrimination. To do this, we must mentor young girls who develop passions in STEM fields to facilitate their careers. If no one else supports women, then we got to come together and support each other.