STEMming from equality: Men in STEM can ally for women

FY2023 presents growth opportunities for the STEM industry in India as ER&D firms double down on aspects such as AI, IoT, ML, and cloud engineering.

With over 70% companies in India aiming to increase their digital investments in the coming years, the talent pool has its work cut out. But for a country that requires 53 lakh tech professionals, India is currently short of 5 lakhs.

India produces over 2 million STEM graduates, nearly half of which are women. The talent gap in the STEM sector presents a trove of opportunity for businesses to improve their hiring initiatives. However, many women IT professionals quit within the first five years citing flexibility, pre-existing gender related inequalities (exacerbated by the pandemic) and lack of growth opportunities as glaring factors.

Retaining women employees boils down to creating a welcoming and flexible workplace. With men making up the majority of the workforce in IT, their allyship and support towards women could go a long way.

Leading right

For an industry that thrives on entropy, systems within businesses could benefit from revisits and changes. Creating a level playing field for women in the IT sector calls for the right policies, diligent enforcement and unbiased leadership.

Men in leadership positions can act as catalysts for change, recognizing the flaws in the organizational system while keeping the benefit of the business in mind. This method of following tempered radicals, allows male leaders to do a lot more than hire women into their teams.

Leaders within IT firms could act as mentors–nurturing an environment of open communication, addressing challenges, advocating for issues that concern their employees, and creating an example. The simple act of having a dialogue could make people feel more comfortable with change and help them understand the need for it.

According to a global study conducted by Mercer, 48% of organizations reported that men are willing to take actions against disparities in the workplace and support from their mentors often helps. But leaders need mentorship too, and this is where policies and training come into play.

Playing by the rules

Globally, 42% tech firms document their D&I strategy and only 17% publish their gender pay gap data. Regulated transparency helps employees understand the intent behind certain policies and practices. For instance, when businesses term hiring women as a ‘diversity hiring initiative’ without disclosing the details of their hiring plans, it has the potential to create a misunderstanding among male employees.

Setting up policies such as pay based on merit, following a transparent work model and creating a flexible and open work environment are aspects that even men can benefit from. As an example, equal maternal and paternal leave policies give each parent the opportunity to fulfill their role of a caregiver.

However, policies and regulations risk being sidelined if leaders don’t ensure its rightful implementation and hardwire it into their actions. IT businesses have the onus to train their leadership (men and women) to establish the need for implementing policies and how it could support the development initiatives of the firm.

Whether businesses choose to make it a part of their onboarding process for leadership roles or implement it through scheduled training programs, positive efforts have the potential to trickle down.

Women in STEM: Equal but different

Equality and difference can coexist and it is important for businesses to make this distinction to drive the need for equality. Since 2020, there have been multiple reported trends of mothers’ increased involvement in caregiving roles as opposed to men. At the same time, women IT professionals compared to men, have felt an increased need to enroll in continuous skill development training sessions.

These differences make it evident that given the varying levels of circumstances, women could benefit from equal opportunities. But does this mean that the only way men in STEM can support women participation is by advocating for their needs?

For most men, being an ally doesn’t always translate into advocacy and expecting that from every ally isn’t fair play. Allyship can present itself in three forms: the ‘aware’ ally, the active ally and the advocate.

A recent study also showed that gender parity efforts are most effective when men are allowed to actively or passively participate in transformation within the workplace. When diversity programmes are organized solely for women, it could make them feel alienated from their male colleagues. On the other hand, if these programmes are only held for men, it could make them feel schooled and unwelcome.

Involving everyone in D&I discussions, will only serve to support a business’ cause.

Catalysing change

Globally, IT businesses are at the cusp of transforming their fundamental operational processes to emphasise diversity and employee-related policies. A study from McKinsey found that with equal workforce distribution, India could increase its GDP by 10%.

While countries such as the US and the UK have fewer women enrolling in STEM roles, their retention rates are higher than India. If Indian IT firms are to bring in diversity into their workforce, hiring is only the tip of the iceberg.

Making men an active ally, familiarizing them with the changes and involving them in the process could lead to an overall transformation within the STEM workforce.

(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)