At Jalasoft, one of South America's fastest-growing software development companies, we are committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We know that the tech workplace is one of the most male-dominated fields, but we firmly believe it’s imperative to transform this reality.
Data Insights about Female Participation in the Tech Industry:
According to a report by the World Bank, women make up less than a third of the world’s workforce in technology-related fields. In 2024, women comprise 28% of employees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in the U.S.
Additionally, the 2022 tech layoffs disproportionately affected women, with 69.2% of those laid off being female, based on a WomenTech Network study of 4912 profiles from 54 companies.
Female representation in tech job applicant pools is highest for junior jobs. It drops for mid-level jobs and then drops again for senior-level jobs: According to a McKinsey consultant, for every 100 men promoted to the manager level, only 86 women are at the same level. As we climb the corporate ladder, the gap intensifies; looking at the internship career level, women make up 39% of the tech industry workforce; however, just 10.9% of those holding CEO or senior leadership roles are women.
In contrast, a 2023 report shows that Latin America's technology-related workforce drops to 23%. While there is a gender gap in the tech industry worldwide, the situation in Latin America is particularly challenging due to cultural and societal factors that perpetuate gender stereotypes and limit opportunities for women.
Recognizing the Importance of Diversity and Inclusion
At Jalasoft, we recognize the importance of diversity in the workplace, not only for the ethical imperative of ensuring equal opportunities for all but also for the business benefits of having a diverse and inclusive workforce. As a result, the company actively works to promote gender equality and provide opportunities for professional growth and development from the very start of their careers.
Starting from the Baseline: Promoting Female Participation in STEM Careers
The Jala Group has been offering since 2006 education opportunities to young people who are interested in working in the software development industry. This includes the JaqueMate program, that paid special attention to fostering the pursuit of tech-related careers in young women.
The program hosted 48 events explicitly designed to challenge stereotypes and encourage women to pursue technical careers, aiming to foster gender diversity in the tech industry.
The positive reception of the program was evident, with 82% of parents, teachers, school principals, and students involved attesting to its benefits. Post-completion, it was gratifying to learn that a substantial number of schools, at least 38, opted to continue and replicate the experience independently.
The importance of increasing female participation in STEM extends beyond education and into professional growth. Milenca Ventura, QA Lead at Jalasoft, highlights the value of community and collaboration in advancing women’s leadership in STEM and specifically tech careers, stating: "I've been lucky enough to participate in international conferences for women in STEM where we could inspire, motivate, grow, and challenge each other. We must unite as Latin American women and work together."
Promoting Gender Equality in the Hiring Process
Studies have shown that unconscious bias can affect hiring decisions, reducing opportunities for women in the software industry. In this case, we refer to gender bias, which is an unconscious sense that one gender is preferred for a position over the other. This often stems from beliefs about gender roles and stereotypes. A survey by AnitaB.org found that 78% of women in tech believe that gender bias is a problem in the industry.
Another study by Hired confirms this bias. They found that in 2022, 38% of positions sent interview invitations exclusively to men. However, this is good news, as it decreased from 45% of the respondents surveyed in 2018.
We at Jalasoft have started to implement changes so that gender bias does not affect our recruiting process. The first step we took to remove unconscious bias in recruitment was to ensure that all employees had adequate training and were mindful of the bias that could impact recruitment. "If someone is good at what they do, their gender is not important. Our tech evaluations are oriented to testing their technical skills," commented Eliana Rodriguez Granja, our Talent Acquisition Lead, and added, "Our recruitment process includes a variety of people and teams to help remove any unconscious gender bias."
Empowering Women in Technology: Making Significant Contributions
Despite these challenges, women have made significant contributions to the software industry and have the potential to make even more significant contributions in the future. Research by McKinsey & Company has shown that gender-diverse companies are 15% more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians.
Gender-Balanced Teams at Jalasoft
Silvana Blaser, Jalasoft's People Director, firmly believes in the importance of gender equality within our engineering teams: "Diversity in perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds not only enriches our work but also drives innovation and creativity. At Jalasoft, we foster an inclusive environment where all individuals, regardless of gender, feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique talents and ideas. We recognize the immense value that gender equality brings to our teams and are dedicated to creating opportunities for women to thrive and excel in the tech industry."
Silvia Valencia has been with Jalasoft for over 16 years and is currently developing as a Senior Core Manager. Although she started as a QA and Automation expert, she transitioned to leadership roles over time and with experience and faced many challenges that turned into valuable lessons:
"In a society still far from achieving gender equality, I feel fortunate to work in this industry and for a company where skills and performance determine professional growth. There is still a long way to go to balance the number of men and women in the technology field, but we have all the necessary qualities to stand out and strive for equal opportunities."
With 26% of our engineering team of over 1000 comprised of talented women and an impressive % of our technical managers being women, we're proud to lead by example in the tech industry. At Jalasoft, gender equality isn't just a goal; it's a reality we actively cultivate. Our commitment to fostering a supportive and equitable work environment for all employees sets us apart and propels us forward in our mission to promote diversity and inclusion in the software industry.
