International Women in Engineering Day 2021: Pandemic‑Driven Gender Disparity in Tech

Every June, the tech industry celebrates International Women in Engineering Day, spotlighting trailblazing women and reigniting the conversation about increasing gender diversity.

Prior to COVID‑19, the tech workforce was skewed, with a 77% male‑to‑female ratio at executive levels. The pandemic has intensified these gaps, as highlighted in a recent industry study:

• 57% of women reported burnout this year versus 36% of men.
• Women were nearly twice as likely to lose jobs or be furloughed during the pandemic.

So what does International Women in Engineering Day mean for leaders today?

Trust Drives Success

Natasha Kiroska, Technical Lead at Amelia, stresses the importance of trust and mentorship: "When environments foster trust and respect, women gain confidence to pursue new opportunities and break through glass ceilings."

Eliza Dickie, Data Analyst at Grayce, believes women are the key to closing the current skills gap: "Data engineering is in high demand across sectors, and women’s participation can accelerate innovation and career growth."

Celebrating Women & Showcasing Creativity

Nuria Manuel, QA Technical Lead at Distributed, urges firms to celebrate female talent: "Providing women with key decision roles and public recognition reinforces a culture of inclusion and drives narrative change."

Edel Kelly, Senior Development Manager at Genesys, highlights the rewards of engineering careers: "Problem‑solving, creativity, and high job satisfaction make engineering an attractive path for women seeking impactful work."

Broadening Skill Sets & Identifying Role Models

Clair Griffin, Projects Director at Vysiion, champions inclusive training: "Digital skills gaps—especially in cybersecurity—can be bridged by making online courses accessible and encouraging cross‑functional talent migration."

Lynn Carter, Data Centre Operations Manager at Sungard AS, notes that role models need not come from tech: "Seeing women excel in sports, arts, or science inspires confidence and illustrates transferable skills for engineering roles."

Kerry Finch, Software Engineer at Civica, credits early mentorship: "A supportive teacher sparked my interest in computer science, leading me to a rewarding engineering career that merges my math background with coding."

Addressing Industry Imbalance

Rosie Gallancz, Software Engineer at VMware Tanzu, remains optimistic: "By seeking supportive environments, learning from peers, and embracing encouragement, the gender gaps that once held me back can be overcome as more women ascend the ranks."

About the Contributors

Industry experts—including Natasha Kiroska (Amelia), Eliza Dickie (Grayce), Nuria Manuel (Distributed), Edel Kelly (Genesys), Clair Griffin (Vysiion), Lynn Carter (Sungard AS), Kerry Finch (Civica), and Rosie Gallancz (VMware Tanzu)—share insights on the significance of International Women in Engineering Day and strategies to advance gender equity in tech.