by Chloe Gunn
With the recent International Women’s Day, I wanted to take some time to appreciate and think about women in the tech industry. So, ‘Ghost of Christmas Past’ style, let us take a journey through the past, present and future of women in tech. 
Past
Ada Lovelace (1815-1852) is considered a pioneer and prophet of the computer age; known for her work on Charles Babbage’s proposed mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine – which served as a precursor to the modern computer. So females were leading in tech from the get-go.
Present
But what do the women of today say about the tech industry? I asked my colleagues at Catalyst to share their thoughts:
“Technology plays such a vital role in our day to day experiences, it's empowering to be a part of shaping the future for ourselves and others.” Rachel Lynch, Graphic Designer.
“I fell into the tech industry but stayed because I love what I do. I get to be analytical, creative and find solutions every day.” Kathrine Rayn, Lead Consultant - Open Knowledge group.
“I'd love to see more girls encouraged to consider a career in tech, we bring a different dynamic to the team, with complementary skills to those typically attributed to men.” Athy Giannopoulos, Project Manager.
Future
Ellena Weston, Catalyst’s 2020 Scholarship winner, is about to start university to study computer science. I asked Ellena what she was looking forward to and she said, “I'm excited to learn how to improve the financial sustainability and effectiveness of companies through the use of tech. I'm looking forward to helping diversify this field, and bring along skills that maybe only I have.”
I’m not saying it’s easy, you can see women recount their struggles in the tech industry. But, we will not let that *stuff* slide anymore. We’re ambitious, powerful and ready to take the tech world by storm.
Depending on your position, experience or where you work, it can feel a little lonely out there – here are some fantastic support resources:
- Tech Women NZ is a group of passionate New Zealand tech, digital and ICT focused individuals from leading organisations that work together, with the support of NZTech, to help address one of the major challenges for the successful growth of technology in New Zealand – a shortage of women in tech roles.
- Victoria University of Wellington Women in Tech (VUWWIT) is a group for students that identify as women or non-binary who are studying computer science, engineering and other STEM subjects at Victoria University.
- Budding technologist? Check out Catalyst’s Open Source Academy, and keep in mind that we hire fresh graduates.
If that's a bit far off for you – check out Technovation; every year, Technovation invites teams of young people from all over the world to learn and apply the skills needed to solve real-world problems through technology.
Or maybe you want to come work here, where inclusion and diversity is something we are proud of.
Either way, you got this.
Don’t forget to follow Catalyst on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Catalyst is a New Zealand owned and operated company where openness, long term relationships, community and diversity are essential characteristics of how we do business. Since 1997, Catalyst has been enabling success with expert open source solutions, and clients all over the world trust us with their mission-critical systems.