FEATURE | MATIHIKO | TECH
Written by Ishani Mathur (she/her) | @vohnriladki | Contributing Writer Edited by Tashi Donnelly (she/her) | @tashi_rd | Feature Editor
This isn’t a critique. I swear on Apple watches and Patagonia puffer vests. But before you take a seat and listen, please get rid of your apparel, and your preconceptions.
Women in tech wake up every day to a constant dilemma: how can they celebrate the hard-fought victories when the uphill battle continues? When is the credit for their contributions due? When is it going to be seen as the norm rather than feminist strides and breaking the glass ‘screen’. Where have Tech Girlies been this whole time?
The reality is, kings are nothing without their queens. Women weren’t late to the tech party — they were instrumental in planning it. Ada Lovelace crafted the first algorithm in the 1840s, ideating computational possibilities before physical computers even existed.
The ENIAC pioneers — Kay McNulty, Betty Jennings, Betty Snyder, Marlyn Meltzer, Fran Bilas, and Ruth Lichterman — yes, all women — programmed the first general-purpose electronic computer during World War II, translating complex mathematical problems into code. This machine, calculating artillery trajectories for the United States Army, laid the groundwork for modern computing. And let’s not forget the women at NASA; brilliant mathematicians like Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson calculated the precise trajectories that sent man to the moon. Women were never absent in the tech space — these names are just a few of those — who were written out of the story.
In today’s world, women have been invited to stand around the table, but are yet to take a seat. Female founders receive a fraction of venture funding. Women in STEM fields still battle assumptions about their roles and capabilities. AI systems carry biases that reflect the voices of their predominantly male development teams. Yet despite these challenges, women aren't merely surviving in tech, they're actively transforming it. From research labs to cybersecurity firms, blockchain startups to healthcare innovations, women are demonstrating that they don't just belong in technology, they're essential to its evolution. Their perspectives make technology more human, more accessible, and more revolutionary.
When considering what women bring to the table, we often overlook their distinct approach to problem-solving. Women offer deep empathy to product development and designing solutions that address genuine human needs, rather than just chasing technical benchmarks. Countless individuals also fail to acknowledge emotional intelligence, an attribute the industry has long undervalued - one that builds innovative communities that thrive via resilience. There is an understanding that technology's purpose isn't the accumulation of technical achievements, but more so enhancing human lives. This perspective isn't "soft", it's the future of successful innovation.
It takes courage for us all to understand that the industry is not oversaturated, there is in fact plenty of space to grow and move forward. It's about understanding a simpler truth: an industry designed by only half of humanity will never reach its full potential. The next chapter of technology needs to address glaring gaps: healthcare systems that understand all bodies, AI that represents all faces and voices, workplaces where parenthood builds resilience rather than derails careers.
Women aren't adapting to tech's established patterns — they're redefining what technology can and should do. The real question isn't whether women will lead tech's future but how quickly the industry will embrace the complete vision they offer.
Men, within the current industry, you hold the influence — the funding decisions, the leadership positions, the power to shape organisational culture. This isn't about guilt or tokenism, or even feeling like you owe those who birth your next generation.
Diversity isn't a HR initiative, it's a competitive advantage. Teams with multifaceted perspectives solve problems more creatively, identify blind spots more readily, and build products that serve a heterogeneous audience. The future belongs to those who can envision technology that serves everyone, not just those who look like its creators. It belongs to teams that understand that empathy and engineering aren't opposing forces but complementary strengths.
Power does not need to be shifted, it needs to be shared. Because when technology reflects the full spectrum of the human experience, we all advance as one.
So, dearest Tech Bros, give us a seat at the table. Or watch as we build our own.
Comments