Canada has made significant progress towards achieving greater gender equality, but gender bias still exists, especially in tech and cybersecurity. Coding, IT and tech sectors are still largely male-dominated and associated with being a ‘man’s world’. Statistics reinforce the existing bias. According to Small Business Trends, only 20% of all jobs in technology were held by women in 2018.[1] When looking through a large enterprise lens, it was reported that only 36% of Facebook’s global staff was composed of women and a mere quarter (25.5%) of Google’s leaders on a global scale were women.[2] Luckily, times are changing. #EachForEqual International Women’s Day is a great opportunity to reflect on what women have achieved in the tech space and celebrate role models. Throughout history, women have always had a role to play in the tech industry, from Grace Hopper developing COBOL (a language still in use) to Margaret Hamilton, a computer scientist who contributed to the men landing on the moon. Canadian women are no exception and continue to be leaders in the tech space. Today, we celebrate all women and allies in tech – like those at SecureKey!

So much of what we do at SecureKey is about collaboration, and we’re proud to celebrate and stand alongside these other notable names in tech including:

• Ann Cavoukian – Ontario’s former privacy commissioner and founder and executive director, Global Privacy and Security by Design Centre. Dr. Ann Cavoukian is one of the world’s leading privacy experts whose Privacy by Design framework has been recognized as an essential part of privacy protection.
• Soledad Gompf – interim executive director of FINCA Canada, an organization dedicated to women’s empowerment and economic inclusion for poor and marginalized individuals.
• Joni Brennan – president at the Digital ID & Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC), who works to connect Canadian digital ID innovations to the global marketplace and strengthen Canada’s strategic position.
• And there are so many more.

These inspiring women have proved that women’s role in tech is not a trend, but a necessary reality that will continue to grow in the coming years. Women deserve to be celebrated and represented in leadership positions to inspire their peers to get involved in this ever-evolving industry. In 2018, booking.com reported that 90 per cent of women would be inspired to chase their fintech dreams, simply by seeing more women in leadership roles.[3] Moving the dial starts with representation. At SecureKey, we always strive for inclusion and diversity to build the best team in the industry. By staying on top of speaking opportunities and being dedicated to recruitment efforts that support young women, we are committed to helping eliminate gender bias. We are also proud to work with FINCA Canada, helping provide small loans to women in poverty across different continents. Through this initiative, women get the necessary funds to start a business and feel empowered by their work. This International Women’s Day, we celebrate all the fantastic women who inspire us and recognize their achievements to lead future generations of women into the tech industry. We encourage you to do the same. Happy International Women’s Day (this coming Sunday, March 8!) #IWD2020 #EachForEqual [1] https://techjury.net/stats-about/women-in-technology/#gref [2] https://techjury.net/stats-about/women-in-technology/#gref [3] https://www.weraddicted.com/celebrating-women-in-tech-on-international-womens-day/