If technology introduced itself, what would be its pronouns? Will it be he or she? What if it is neither? 

Technology that we know today was not the same as a few centuries back. Just like human beings, technology has been evolving, becoming better, more advanced, and more suitable to make our lives easier. What began somewhere before the 18th century has undergone so much change that in the 21st century, what-ifs have entered the conversation, and they are here to stay. For example, what if AI replaces humans, or what if humans are evolving for the worse due to increased dependence on technology and whatnot. 

Despite these changes, the underrepresentation of women in tech has been persistent. Don’t believe us?

Let us take a trip down the timeline of the tech revolution and name some visionary women in the industry. Ada Lovelace? Mary Keller? and very few other women who rewrote our history. Unfortunately, the situation has not changed much. 

According to research, merely 3 out of 10 tech employees are women. Does that sound like progress? And the problem does not even end here. Research also says that women are 1.6 times more likely to be laid off than men (https://www.womentech.net/en-in/women-technology-statistics). Therefore, with an insufficient representation, opportunities, role models, and job security, the aspirational value of IT automatically becomes scarce.

Diversity in the tech industry is a great source of innovation because, with more diversity, there are more experiences, needs, and solutions to meet those needs. Today, there are apps that help women keep track of their periods, pregnancies, safety, healthcare, and many other needs right on their mobile phone. Gone are the days when tracking periods was another memory game women had to play with themselves.

Well, need is the mother of innovation, and innovation is genderless.

With more innovation, we are not only successfully catering to the needs of almost 50% of our population (i.e., 50% of potential customers of tech), but we are also increasing job opportunities for all genders, which is a win-win for all. This means, with more women in tech, we are listening to more voices, bridging the gender gap, increasing profits, and giving more jobs to everyone.

So, are technology’s pronouns really, he/his?

Thankfully, technology identifies as “application of scientific knowledge, skills, and techniques for creating, designing, developing, and using tools, machines, and systems to solve problems and meet human needs.”, (says ChatGPT), so, for now, it is safe to use ‘it’ for IT.

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