Despite a growing push towards initiatives that help women rise up in fields that are primarily dominated by men, there’s still a long way to go. STEM fields, in particular, tend to have woefully low levels of gender equality, and the problem is that it’s a self-perpetuating problem. Supporting more education for girls in primary schools and universities can significantly improve gender equity, but representation is also important. Without more women in the fields that matter, girls will have more trouble believing that there are opportunities available to them and will have fewer role models they can strive to emulate. The tech startup industry is one of the most lucrative and rapidly growing fields around, but only 17% of startups have a female founder. The gap for funding is even wider, with female founders receiving only 2% of venture capital dollars. It’s a worrying problem but one that can benefit from women lifting one another up in the field. Here are a few ways you can help lift yourself and other women up in a male-dominated field.
- Mentoring
Positive role models can be a great motivator for younger girls, but they can also have a major impact on professionals trying to break into the industry. If you have experience in the industry, share your experiences. Whether that means creating YouTube videos, seeking out mentees with which you can build a personal relationship, or engaging directly in conferences, your journey can help other women navigate their own unique challenges. If you’re still trying to catch your big break, seeking out women with more experience can help you along your own path.
- Getting Involved in Investment
All the skills and training in the world won’t matter much if you can’t get the funding you need to make your dreams a reality. And while it’s important to close the gender gap at every level of a business’ operations, women in positions of power have the greatest opportunity to enact sweeping change. Women tend to invest less than men; but when they do, they have a tendency to outperform men. Learning the ins and outs of investment and engaging directly means that you’ll have more capital you can leverage to close the gender gap and serve as an inspirational force to other women.
- Showing Confidence
People tend to respond differently towards traits of aggression and confidence when they’re exhibited by men rather than women, but a lack of self-confidence can have a major effect on a woman’s ability to break into a male-dominated field. In terms of the investment industry alone, a study found that 60% of men are confident in managing their money as opposed to 35% of women. These attitudes won’t change without a proactive response, and that’s why it’s so necessary for women to engage fully, to ask questions, and to push back against accepted norms of how women should behave in business environments.