Women in Health Tech

When Will There Be Equality?

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Women in Cybersecurity

Nearly half of women working in cybersecurity (49 per cent) say that the Covid-19 pandemic has affected their career positively, with only 9 per cent of female cybersecurity professionals saying that the pandemic negatively impacted their career. This is according to a new global report from human layer security company , published this International Women’s Day.

In fact, cybersecurity jobs appear to have weathered the Covid-19 storm as 94 per cent of women in cybersecurity said they recruited new staff members to help support their team in 2020. In addition, 89 per cent of women working in the industry reported feeling secure in their jobs.

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Work to be Done

Despite the industry offering promising opportunities, there is still plenty of work to be done to encourage younger women to consider a career in cybersecurity. As part of the report, Tessian surveyed university graduates aged 18-25 years old and found that men in this age group were more likely to consider a job in cybersecurity – 42 per cent versus 26 per cent of women. Interestingly, though, 87 per cent of younger women said that they found the industry “important” and 73 per cent said it was “interesting”.

When female cybersecurity professionals were asked what would encourage more women into cybersecurity roles, equal pay topped the list with 47 per cent of respondents saying this would help bridge the gender gap. This was closely followed by “more female diverse models” (44 per cent), “a gender-balanced workforce” (43 per cent) and “a greater emphasis on STEM subjects in schools” (41 per cent).

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Entry Barriers

A significant percentage of Generation Z respondents were, however, on the fence when it came to considering a career in cybersecurity. Nearly half (45 per cent) are not sure whether cybersecurity is the career for them and when asked why, many are worried that they don’t have the skills needed to thrive, while others are not sure how to navigate a career change.

Encouraging greater in cybersecurity would have huge benefits, though. A previous Tessian revealed that an additional £4.4 billion would be added to the UK economy if the number of women working in cybersecurity rose to equal that of men.

Sabrina Castiglione, Tessian’s Chief Financial Officer and Acting Head of Talent commented:

“The women in our report have spoken; cybersecurity is an industry to build a thriving career, even in a global pandemic, and the younger generation recognises that it’s important. So now, we need to show more women and girls how they can explore the opportunities available to them.

“Greater awareness in schools is critical but businesses, too, can help build a more diverse talent pool for the future through initiatives like hiring more diverse candidates at junior levels and developing them into senior roles, and creating platforms for role models to share their stories. We won’t solve the gender gap overnight. But acting now and playing the long game will have enormous benefits – both for businesses and society.”

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“As founder of Team Hen,��an independent online retailer of modern hen party accessories, I started out, like many, as a one-woman-band. However I quickly realised my time was not best spent making our products, it was actually the part I enjoyed the least. My real passion lay in the product design.”

“By outsourcing the parts I could teach someone to do, I could concentrate on working on the business – rather than in it. I took on staff early in my business journey, I had two children under three and simply could not ‘do it all’ – but it was the best decision I made; I got to be mum and director; my favourite two hats.”

“As a women in a product-based business, my advice to anyone starting out today would be NEVER take your eyes off the bottom line – you can absolutely turn your creative side-hustle into a successful business but unless you are making a real profit, it’s just a hobby.”

“Account for your raw materials, your packaging, postage and most importantly your time! Add a fair margin on top and consider early on if your business model could be adapted to suit wholesale also.”

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“I’m now in my 7th year of running Team Hen, and I could never have envisaged we’d be where we are today – a full-time female team, our own warehouse and our newly launched wholesale initiative.”

“Don’t waste too much time worrying where you’ll be in 5 years, or what you want to achieve – just get on and do it – start small, but start somewhere.”

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Unlocking the Power of Women

Small Business Britain’s��f:Entrepreneur��campaign – which commissioned the research to mark – has called for more support to unlock the opportunity of female-led businesses and greater recognition of this group’s powerful contribution to society, the economy and communities.

The research found that two fifths of women (42%) were motivated to think about starting a business out of a passion – by far the biggest reason cited.

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The Role of the Pandemic

But the trend is also being driven by the impact of Covid-19 on the economy and jobs. Over a third (34%) of women are considering supplementing their income through a ‘’, whilst 10% were prompted by a job loss.

Reconsidering current employment as a result of the pandemic was also cited as a key factor by 17% of women, whilst 14% said they have been inspired to contribute to society.

“This research underlines that��female entrepreneurship continues to grow and flourish in the UK,”��said��Michelle Ovens CBE,��founder of��Small Business Britain��and��f:Entrepreneur.��

“While 2021 will of course continue to be tough for small businesses, there are huge opportunities out there for women to grow and start their businesses. We saw a wave of start-up activity after the last recession, and with other figures sadly showing that women have been particularly affected by recent redundancies, I believe female-led businesses will be at the very heart of the UK’s recovery.

We need to continue, and increase, our support for these incredible women and celebrate��their amazing strength and success in the face of huge challenges.”

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f:Entrepreneur Campaign

The��f:Entrepreneur campaign was launched in 2017 to highlight inspiring female entrepreneurs that lead small businesses alongside a roster of other roles, such as volunteering, mentoring and community support.

This year it received a record number of applications from women to be part of its annual #ialso100��campaign, which showcases amazing female entrepreneurs from all over the UK.

Among the female business owners featured this year is Susan Bonner from Hampshire, who founded��The British Craft House in 2019: “I started my business out of a passion for crafting and wanting to have the freedom to be more in control of my own destiny,”��says Susan.��“I now have almost 500 sellers on my website since I started out in 2019 and the support they offer each other is inspiring and refreshing to see.”

Liza Haskell, Chief Administrative Officer��at��Tide, which sponsors the��f:Entrepreneur campaign, said:��“Tide is dedicated to championing small businesses and as part of this mission we have committed to supporting 100,000 women starting out in business by the end of 2023. We are pleased to say that we are on track to meet that target and are proud to support important campaigns such as f:Entrepreneur as part of our commitment.” ��

Small Business Minister Paul Scully said:��“Supporting women entrepreneurs is essential as we build back fairer from the pandemic, levelling the playing field for people from all backgrounds in business and ensuring that Britain’s economy flourishes.”

To see the full list of the 100 amazing women featured in this year’s��f:Entrepreneur #ialso100��campaign visit https://f-entrepreneur.com/fentrepreneur-100/

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• This International Women’s Day we should all #choosetochallenge.

• To achieve an equal world we need to celebrate women’s achievement, raise awareness against bias and take action for equality!

By following and reading about inspiring women, you are able to join the celebration of women today and gain advice on finding a mentor, what men can do to help achieve equality, how women can better enable each other instead of competing, and more!

We have gathered inspiring quotes and advice from women all over the world to celebrate this day. Lastly, we want to say Happy International Women’s Day!

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Please click on the names below to read what they have to say!

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91̽��’s International Women’s Day Panel:

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For any questions, comments or features, .

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Seema’s thoughts on International Women’s Day…

“For me, it’s all about celebrating women’s achievements in all spheres – social, political, cultural and economic. Everything. It’s also a personal opportunity for me to think about the women I admire so much in my life. I’m so lucky to have strong, powerful, resilient women around me. And, of course, it’s so important to use IWD to remind ourselves how far we still need to go, to make opportunities even more open and equal for the next generations of women – for our daughters. So they can achieve their full potential.”

“Of course, men can do just as much as women – and they should! There’s been so much progress towards gender equality made in the last decade, but there’s no doubt COVID-19 threatens to reverse that important progress, as the negative impacts of the pandemic are disproportionately being felt by women.”

“If we continue at the current rate of progress made by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) over the last nine years, it would take 112 years to close the gender pay gap. How depressing is that!”

“So it’s up to all of us – whatever our gender – to challenge inequalities and gender biases towards women and work. We all have a role to play.”

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When asked��what advice would you give women struggling in a male-dominated industry?��Seema replied: “I don’t think that’s the right question. We need to flip it, and ask: ‘What can male-dominated industries do to attract more women?’ This is critical, given that:

• Female-run startups generate 78c in revenue for every dollar of investment raised — as opposed to male-run startups, which generate 31c.
• Women-led teams deliver a 35% higher return on investment than all-male teams.
• Companies with female founders perform 63% better than those with all-male founders.”

“There’s no escaping those stats! It’s clear from the data that diverse founders, teams and team leaders are not just happier, but also deliver better results and returns. The companies that get this will thrive. Those that don’t will fall by the wayside. It’s that simple.”

“We still have lots to do. VC money needs to become much more accessible to women, to help female-driven startups grow. And we need more female role models and leaders in tech generally. We need more girls and young women to pursue STEM subjects as a route into tech, and that depends on raising the profile of women in the industry, to inspire those new generations.”

“There are some really clear, urgent goals:

• Make more money available to female founders.��
• Promote women, and overcome the ‘broken-rung effect’. Because there are disproportionately few women in managerial roles, fewer women get promoted into executive roles. We need to break that cycle.
• We need more women at managerial levels, which will inevitably lead to more women in C-suite roles – making decisions on who to fund, partnerships, etc.”

“It can look like a mountain to climb, but I’m optimistic. Women control over 30% of the world’s wealth – and that’s growing. We still make most family financial decisions. But we’re massively underserved – which represents a huge opportunity.”

“Lastly, I’d say to all the women out there – make yourselves visible! Speak at events, meet people. Build supportive, inspiring networks, find mentors and sponsors. Find the thing you’re really good at, know that you’re enough – and then go for it!”

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Seema’s Top 10 Pieces of Advice for Female Entrepreneurs…

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1. “There are easier ways to make money. If that’s what you want, try something else! But if your idea or mission has a real purpose, here’s the rest of my top ten:”

2. “Don’t kid yourself: this is bloody hard work. Long hours, cash-flow stress, feeling isolated, the effects on your relationships and mental health. It’s tough.”

3. “It’s not for everyone. You have to decide for yourself if it’s right for you — with your eyes open. And you need a wide range of skills. Multi-tasking, leadership, decisiveness, methodical patience, and an ability to pivot when needed. Especially in tech, where things happen so fast. You need to be a bit of a risk-taker, ready to just go for it and try stuff.”

4. “You have to be a natural optimist. There will be plenty of obstacles, and plenty of people telling you it won’t work. Your sense of purpose really helps here: you have to believe!”

5. “Make as many connections as you can. Build a network of relationships. They’ll support your business as it grows.”

6. “Never underestimate how much support you can get if you reach out. Talk to other founders, sponsors, mentors. People are incredibly generous – believe me, I know!”

7. “You’ll have to do a bit of everything, which means learning fast and getting stuck in. Fundraising, cap tables, financials, operations, product — be ready to get into it all. There’s always more to be done.”

8. “Don’t try to be something you’re not. You’re enough as you are. Just be true to yourself, and believe in yourself. You can do it.”

9. “This is a massively rewarding path — as long as you have the right support from your team, family, friends, other founders and investors.”

10. “And this is a repeat, but worth repeating: this is incredibly hard work, and not right for everyone. Someone once told me: ‘If you want to work the longest hours and be the lowest-paid — be a founder!’ But for the right sort of character, there’s nothing quite like it.”

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“International Women’s Day is a day where a true spotlight is shone upon the inequalities women around the globe have faced, and continue to face, daily within the personal and professional lives. It is a time where everyone can, and should, be revisiting and remembering how important it is that, as a society, nation and world, we should be consistently advocating for equality.”

“So much has changed in the 20 years I have been working. Two decades ago, equality was still in the early stages of being fought for and now, I have seen huge improvements. More women are seated at top tables and their voices are elevated like never before. However, there is still plenty of work to be done – we’re nowhere near perfect yet.”

“Like most sectors, there is still a huge disparity between the number of men at senior level compared to women, most of who are floating between junior ranks and mid-level and feel stuck.”

When asked what do you think helped you get so far in your career? How can we mentor young girls to dream bigger?��Caine responded “I just went for it. I always thought to myself, I’m no different to that man over there – we have the same brain and the same skeleton, just because he has different chromosomes doesn’t make him any more worthy than me. I fought the stereotypes and the bias and grabbed the bull by the horns.”

“This is the message we need to instil into young girls. Stereotypes are redundant and damaging. You do not have to act, speak or dress in a certain way to be a successful woman. Break the mould and be proud.”

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“Be the change you want to see and be the starter of the conversation around equality. The reason some sectors are still heavily male dominated is because no one has stood up and said, ‘I don’t like this; it needs to change’. That person could be you.”

“Have courage. It’ll be hard, you may feel drowned out by bigger voices or may feel that you aren’t taken seriously – but as long as you stick by your guns and just keep your eye on the prize, you’ll excel.”

“Never give up. Whoever you are and whatever change you are fighting for, don’t stop until you’ve got what you set out for. It may feel like your actions are just a drop in the ocean, but if you can advocate and champion change, others will follow. Your drop in the ocean will soon become a huge tidal wave.”

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For Lucy Cohen, co-founder of Mazuma, International Women’s Day signifies “A chance to review where we are, how far we have come and what is left to do.”

“There’s more women being given a platform to make their voices heard, something I have noticed across my personal and professional life.”

“The C-suite is still very male dominated and large organisations still have very old-school business and working models that may hinder women. Also, in all sectors, parental leave is a problem. Only about 1 per cent of men take more than 14 days paternity leave. Revolutionary idea – make equal parental leave mandatory. Whatever one partner takes the other must too. That’d quickly even things up.”

When asked, how can women better enable each other instead of compete? What needs to change in your opinion?��Lucy responded “Firstly, we need to stop asking this question – it continues to perpetuate the idea that women will naturally compete with one another, and that there can only be one alpha female in a room. That isn’t true. Women have tremendous capacity to raise each other up, advocate for each other and, for those of us who have forged a path, to reach a hand back.”

“There will be scenarios in life where women will end up in competition with each other, and that’s a good thing – we shouldn’t fear it. After all – that means we have a more level playing field and more women are fulfilling their potential.”

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“Insist on a seat at the table. Develop your skills to make your voice heard. Stop being apologetic and ask for what you want. Be direct, no more – ‘would you mind awfully?’, or ‘only if you have time’.”

“I don’t fear being told ‘no’ or having to approach a problem multiple times before I get the result I want. This is a marathon, not a sprint. I’ve also had great role models around me and have found allies, so that when I asked for a seat at the table, they have helped it happen.”

“Don’t wait until the perfect moment – it will never happen! You must be comfortable making a move when things aren’t exactly as you’d like. Better to get something done that is 90 per cent than wait for it to be 100 per cent and miss your shot.”

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“To me, International Women’s Day means that we are collectively recognising the benefit and power that women offer.”

“My advice is to believe in yourself and your right to a seat at the table. Every organisation is better when we have diversity, including diversity of gender. This day brings that reality to life, as we remind ourselves that women are half the population – we bring a huge amount of creativity and passion and knowledge. It reminds us that we shouldn’t doubt ourselves. And it’s a celebration of how far we have come, and inspiration on the work we need to do.”

“This is why I’m so passionate about women supporting women. When we hear women’s voices, we know that we are not alone in this journey. We can do this through networking groups like the Women in Technology group, or alumni associations, but this isn’t just down to the individual.”

“Companies need to provide a path to mentorship and sponsorship in order to give their women employees the best chance to shine. When we mentor, advocate and support each other, we not only lift each other up, but we enable each other to learn from our experiences – how to live with harmony between work and home, not to be so hard on ourselves and feel like we must have it all figured out, and that we do deserve a seat at the table.”

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“As it is for so many of my colleagues, International Women’s Day is an important event for me. For the last 11 years, I have led Woman@Capco in Canada. As we put together our event each year, it always strikes me as a great occasion when we truly make the effort to celebrate each other; however I wonder why we only do it once a year? We acknowledge what we have accomplished, both individually and as a team. We bring together women of diverse backgrounds and allow them to share their journey, to feel safe to express themselves openly and freely.”

“My message for #Choosetochallege is exactly that. We choose what we can do to support women, and we choose to challenge the status quo – so we need to continue to work on removing bias and to build a more gender inclusive workplace.”

“I continuously encourage women to put their hand up and to use their platform to find their voice. The more often that each of us do this, the more we are pushing forward, blazing the trails for other women to follow – because progress does not merely mean parity.”

“Having always had a career in a male dominated industry, one thing that really helped me was having a female mentor or coach, not only within the organisation I worked but outside of it as well.”

“Research has shown when women are around senior female role models they are more likely to support other women in their career. The experience and navigational skills I learned from my mentor years ago allowed me to feel more confident – not only in the role I held, but for the aspirations I had for myself as my career advanced. I felt I had a person who encouraged me, understood my struggle (perceived or real) and helped me to overcome obstacles.”��

“What is very interesting now as I speak to other female leaders in business is how, as organisations, we are talking out loud about Diversity and Inclusion and have more females in executive positions, and how they are now measuring and tracking the results.”

“When we talk about supporting girls who code, STEM for Girls, not only did those topics not come up previously, but they were not even a consideration. The conversation has changed. Today, supporting non-profit organisations that aim to increase the number of women in computer science that provides the foundation of skills to compete is at the forefront. Women are now being recognised and it is up to all of us to continue the progress for our future generations.”

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