Being a Woman in the World of Digital

Its International Women’s Day, and what better way to celebrate than with a discussion on women in digital?

While we here at Liberty are lucky enough to have a roughly equal divide of women and men in our office, this is not always the case.

A sad statistic is that according to the UK Government, women make up only 26% of the digital workforce with this statistic only anticipated to fall further in the coming years.

So What’s Going on With Women in Digital?

Today, women are more likely than ever to dive into the world of digital, and with leading companies such as Facebook, Google, Netflix and other Silicon Valley big wigs all feeling the pressure for diversification, women are in a stronger position than ever to demand more.

Unfortunately, the digital horizon is still a male dominated one and while positive changes have been made, the tech scene hasn’t quite shaken its ‘boys club’ persona with 73% of people believing the industry is sexist.

Thankfully, we have women out there who are demanding more.

Platforms such as Girls Who Code and Kode with Klossy are providing those who have a calling to coding, but aren’t exactly sure of where to start.

Alongside this, the term ‘tech bigwig’ is starting to become synonymous with the women in charge of leading companies across the world, with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, Google CFO Ruth Porat and Reddit CEO Ellen Pao to name but a few.

In saying this however, there’s still a long way to go if we hope to break away from the Silicon Valley stereotype and see women making bigger waves in the digital industry.

What do the Women at Liberty Think?

Alix Charles, PPC Specialist

“Personally, I am really happy and proud to be working for a company that encourages, supports and pays me fairly regardless of gender.

Whilst I am aware that the digital industry is mainly male dominated, I have never felt like this has held me back whilst at Liberty – despite it being something that held me back in the past.

I wouldn’t go out of my way to persuade women to get into digital for the sake of it, but what I would say to women everywhere is that if you want a job, go get it. Don’t let gender or others’ opinions hold you back.”

Reshma Manwani Vadgama, Digital Account Manager

“While our clients generally have a 50/50 split, I do notice more of a divide during industry events.

Personally I have always believed that women are no different to men in terms of talent, and it’s all about hard work and fighting for those opportunities.

Women need to have more exposure to the digital world in terms of positive examples to follow. YouTubers and bloggers such as Deliciously Ella, Lydia Emillen and Kaushal are really encouraging young women through consistently showcasing their work”

Stephanie Lamerton, Creative Content Executive

“While I do believe that overall the industry is male dominated, our Content team here at Liberty is very much a female force of nature with our manager Phil being the only male presence.

However, when I have attended conferences, I have noticed that while women do discuss the content and social side of digital, the technical side appears to still be mostly male”

Rachel Bloom, Digital Retail Strategist

“Overall, I do feel that digital is a male dominated industry (particularly in SEO and tech), however I am seeing more and more women stepping in to digital roles which is great to see!

There’s a misconception that you have to be a typical “geek” to work in digital, and it’s just not true! At Liberty, we have such a diverse mix of people and that’s what makes our team so amazing.

People like Karlie Kloss who used her influential reach to start a coding academy for women (Kode with Klossy) really inspire me and I absolutely loved the series she did for Elle UK on women in tech, which celebrated innovative women in the tech industry.

I also couldn’t comment on International Women’s Day article without mentioning other ladies that are truly inspirational. Malala Yousafzai who so fearlessly fights for the right to education for girls, and Emma Watson who is so fierce and not afraid to stand up for women’s rights”

To the Future

While we most certainly have a long way to go, the female presence in the world of digital marketing is being felt more than ever, and with gender equality continually at the forefront of our minds, let’s hope we can prove those Government statistics wrong.

I’ll leave you with one of the greatest speeches of modern feminity. Happy International Women’s Day to all the do’ers, dreamers and tryers out there. Keep smashing those stereotypes.

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