Women in cybersecurity & technology

Women in cybersecurity and technology roles still often face a fairly uncompromisingly masculine domain so I thought that it might be useful to discuss some important helper roles, some things that leaders can do to help, and also some ways that women can help themselves.

Firstly, I want to clarify some important helper roles in the fight for equality in the workplace:

Mentor
Sponsor
Ally

Mentor

Mentors are a really helpful sounding board for women. Some folks say that there are various roles that mentors can play, here are three that I like to focus on as a mentor:

Consultant – provide the voice of experience and guidance for next steps and issues
Counsellor – listening and provision of constructive feedback
Cheerleader – provide support and enthusiasm

Sponsor

Personally I have found sponsors to be more valuable than mentors. A sponsor is someone who introduces and supports you from inside the organisation. They advocate for you and provide guidance as to how to navigate the organisation.

Ally

Being an ally for women and other minority groups in the workplace is an essential role. In this context it means making a commitment to speaking up for women, and ensuring that women are given the same space as men to prove themselves, to make mistakes, and to grow into roles.

It is probably worth noting that not every woman will feel that they are a member of an oppressed group. But it is also worth noting that women as a group, along with other minorities, have long been subject to systematic oppression.

If you are interested in being an ally it is worth reading up on it – this is a good place to start: https://guidetoallyship.com/. I have been learning a lot about what it means to be a good ally over the past years and continue to learn.

TO BE AN ALLY IS TO…

Take on the struggle as your own.

Stand up, even when you feel scared.

Transfer the benefits of your privilege to those who lack it.

Acknowledge that even though you feel pain, the conversation is not about you.

Be willing to own your mistakes and de-center yourself.

Understand that your education is up to you and no one else.

https://guidetoallyship.com/

Things that leaders can do

There are several simple things that leaders can do to create a more welcoming environment for women in their workplace:

Barriers to participation – remove unwarranted barriers to participation, such as unnecessary early morning or late evening meetings.
Address bias in job advertisements – there are great tools like Gender Decoder that can help to strip out the unconscious masculine coding in job ads.
Ensure that team language is inclusive – I have had to train myself to say “hey folks” instead of saying “hey guys” (I still do slip up occasionally) – there are some good tips here.
Ensure that ‘Office Housework’ is shared by everyone – Office housework is what I call the myriad number of small tasks that are not on mission for a specific role. This is things like tidying the table after a meeting, tidying up the kitchen, or unpacking the dishwasher. Do not assume it is women’s work. If it needs doing everyone should pitch in.
Jokes and banter – if your team is very blokey they may be in the habit of sharing jokes and banter that are not inclusive so you might need to take steps to address this in the workplace.

Things that women can do

Taking rejection & ignoring it

You will be rejected – sometimes because you are a woman, sometimes for other reasons
Pick yourself up, regroup and continue
Resilience counts – a career is a marathon not a sprint

Understanding yourself

Take every opportunity to get a 360 degree understanding of yourself
Ask for feedback
Reflect on your work, assess dispassionately
Recognise your strengths and your weaknesses

Office housework – DO NOT DO IT!

These are all those little tasks around the office for which one gets no credit whatsoever – things like cleaning up the meeting room, emptying the dishwasher, or tidying the kitchen. DO NOT DO THEM. Men don’t do them, so why should you?

People will unconsciously expect women to do it
It takes time
It distracts you from your mission
It adds up over the years

Support network

Find a work support network
Often friends will not understand your work context
Sometimes colleagues at work will diverge as you progress

Sponsorship not mentorship

A sponsor is someone who will advocate on your behalf
Mentors are helpful but to get ahead a sponsor can be more useful

Impostor syndrome

Nobody knows how you feel
Own your success
Some advise to Fake it until you make it
Don’t compare yourself to others
The crucial thing about the imposter syndrome is that there is often clear evidence that you are not an imposter. You have the feeling that you are an imposter but there is evidence that you are not. Check the evidence!

Above all…