Women are equal and crucial to building the tech our world needs, says Geetha Kannan, MD, AnitaB.org

On the eve of one of the largest 'Women in Tech' conferences, Geetha Kannan, Managing Director of AnitaB.org India, talks about women in technology, the challenges they face, the unconscious bias, and the leaky pipeline. 

Geetha Kannan, with 29 years of experience in the IT industry, is a strong advocate for gender diversity and women entrepreneurship in India and has been instrumental in strategising and implementing programmes at AnitaB.org India. Geetha has previously worked with leading organisations such as NIIT, Wipro Systems, and Raymonds. She has also held senior leadership positions and has been responsible for driving growth and change in organisations such as Infosys and ANZ-Bank Bangalore. 

AnitaB.org India, a non-profit organisation and focusses on helping careers of women in technology and inspiring and guiding women in computing and organisations that drive technology innovations. In her role as Managing Director, Geetha drives the mission of advancing careers of women in tech in India.

Globally, AnitaB.org works with technologists in more than 80 countries. It also partners with academic institutions and Fortune 500 companies worldwide.

Of all the work that AnitaB.org India does, it is also recognised for its annual conference on Women in Tech. The conference, called the Grace Hopper Celebration, is named after American computer scientist and US Navy Rear Admiral Grace Hopper who was a pioneer in computer programming.

With organisations and women in tech coming together later this week at the conference, YourStory caught up with Geetha to talk about the conference, and find out what challenges women in tech face. Geetha also throws light upon why we don’t see women in tech move from colleges to careers, why those who do still give up after a time, and how AnitaB.org is working to not just make the industry diverse and inclusive but bring back women on a break. 

“As individuals, society, and an organisation, we all need to genuinely believe that women are equal and crucial to building the technology our world needs. This thinking that will drive the real change,” Geetha believes. 

If you are a woman in tech, and you want to share your story with us, write to us at [email protected].