Guest Column: Bhatnagar – Head, Strategy and Growth Partnerships, Snapchat India, outlines how gender diversity in STEM fields can help increase productivity and performance
In an ever-evolving world, it is crucial to have people from diverse academic disciplines and backgrounds working in any industry but even more so in the field of Tech. Enterprises are more likely to have above-average profitability if the workforce is gender-diverse. Juhi Bhatnagar – Head, Strategy and Growth Partnerships, Snapchat India, outlines how gender diversity especially in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields can help increase productivity, creativity, performance, retention, and boost collaboration.
While many organizations in India are endeavoring to be more inclusive and women make up nearly 43 percent of the total graduates in STEM, only 14 percent are employed in research and development institutions. This means, India tops the world in producing female graduates in STEM but ranks 19th in employing them. Reasons range from the gender pay gap, less recognition, dropout because of life events such as marriage, being the primary child/elderly care provider, and more.
As India moves towards further cementing its position as a global tech leader, it is important to attract and educate women to pursue a career in STEM and enable a culturally relevant environment to make them stay employed (in case that is their choice).
A major opportunity lies in women in leadership positions in STEM sharing their personal stories and inspiring the future generation by initiating and encouraging solution-focused, public conversations around ‘women in Tech’. More women in the Tech space need to come forward and present themselves as role models. In my own career, I have had the privilege to be around many such incredible women and can’t stress the importance of role models, a network and a (personal) female board of advisers. I feel passionate about the cause of women empowerment and mentorship and manifest it through my initiative “The Bodhi Network”, where we connect highly ambitious and capable young women to accomplished leaders and strive to be a community for candid expression for discussions around career planning, negotiation, workplace politics, breaking the glass ceiling, and more.
Skilling & upskilling
When it comes to attracting and educating more women to pursue a career in STEM, we at Snapchat, are working dedicatedly to introduce young women to the concept of Augmented Reality. We host our annual countrywide Lensathon enabling women with an interest and passion for AR to get skilled and consider exploring a career in the field of AR. Speaking from personal experience, for long-term success in a career within STEM, it is crucial to be at the forefront of new technologies and to keep upskilling yourself to stay relevant. This determines how swiftly you can identify and adapt to progressive tech innovations which ultimately decides the longevity of your career and the heights you can reach. AR is one such upcoming, high-potential field waiting for women to tap into and shine.
If we look at some of the women Lens creators who have been associated with us, we have many inspiring stories to share. A good case in point here would be that of Pradeepa Anandhi. Her journey as a lens creator emerged from personal interest and passion in AR, and today she works with global brands like Google, Neutrogena, Star Network to create AR lenses to support their consumer engagement efforts.
Similar to how Snap’s Lens Studio has helped women build their careers in AR and upskill them, I definitely see the scope for more such initiatives to make women aware of the depth of career opportunities that the tech industry has to offer.
Let’s bridge together
The achievements of women in technical fields have been recognized worldwide given our ability to demonstrate consistent competence, innovation and endurance. This has proved just how essential it is for the technology industry to have more women as part of their workforce. Seeing women breakthrough in unconventional fields such as AR continues to inspire a lot of young women who now know that shattering that glass ceiling is no longer a distant dream.
Women are the invisible backbone of the economic prosperity of India. Like the privileged few in the workforce, let’s promise to do everything possible to increase women’s representation in STEM fields, especially Tech. We will do our part, at Snap Inc.
Article Credits: e4m