Mara Maehara, CIO of TOTVS
During my childhood, I decided that I would learn the tasks of a tire repairman to help my father and brother in our family's auto repair shop. I washed carburetors, changed tires and was chosen by customers to perform services on their vehicles. I was proud of that and didn't feel out of place for doing a task that a woman was not expected to do.
I grew up with the mentality that there is no gender distinction when it comes to work, no matter who does it, a task must be done with quality! With that thought, I entered the Faculty of Systems Analysis and then into the technology market, where I soon noticed the small presence of women.
There are those who believe that technology is a “man's thing”, but a brief historical analysis reveals that technological evolution is marked by the presence of great female figures. Ada Lovelace, in 1843, created the first language of algorithms, long before there were machines to interpret them; later, Grace Hopper, between 1940 and 1950, assumed the position of admiral of the US navy - until then never filled by a woman - and was one of the creators of COBOL, programming language for commercial databases. Not least, Margaret Hamilton, in 1969, was largely responsible for the success of NASA's Apollo 11 operation, and coined the term “software engineering”. In Brazil, in 1974, the bachelor's degree in computer science at USP was composed, almost entirely, by women (70%).
You must ask yourself why this change in the scenario, why the female workforce represents only 17% of the segment, currently. The answer is that, when the technological sector gained strength, men began to assume these roles and were strongly encouraged by their families to study and pursue a career in the field. Consequently, for cultural reasons, the participation of women declined, since the distinctions of tasks at the time were very present in society. The computer became the gift of the boys, while the girls continued to earn only dolls.
The lack of social stimulus and the imposition of some paradigms removed women from this market and along with the advancement of technology, the predominance of males in the sector's functions also advanced.
However, it is necessary to demystify the idea that computing is an area for men! There is a lot of space within this market and there is also a shortage of qualified labor. Technology has embraced us, now it is present in almost every moment of our daily lives, which also expands the possibilities of professional performance. This is not a macho segment, as it develops solutions that apply to different segments, products and audiences. Therefore, its creators also need this diversity, in order to make it increasingly plural, more democratized.
Today, as CIO of a large technology company, I can say that I am hopeful about a transformation in this corporate scenario, in fact, I already see changes. I am wanted by young women to tell me about my professional journey and I am happy to see this interest. We are gaining more and more space in the job market and showing that we were born to be professionals beyond the home, deconstructing a conservative culture.
My advice, for all girls and women who dream of entering the IT market, is: GO! Forget prejudices, break paradigms, build technical and interpersonal skills, do your best and get out of your comfort zone, be assertive and have security. We are capable and the market asks for our participation. In fact, a woman's place is where she wants it, even in their homes, in workshops or in technology!
I grew up with the mentality that there is no gender distinction when it comes to work, no matter who does it, a task must be done with quality! With that thought, I entered the Faculty of Systems Analysis and then into the technology market, where I soon noticed the small presence of women.
There are those who believe that technology is a “man's thing”, but a brief historical analysis reveals that technological evolution is marked by the presence of great female figures. Ada Lovelace, in 1843, created the first language of algorithms, long before there were machines to interpret them; later, Grace Hopper, between 1940 and 1950, assumed the position of admiral of the US navy - until then never filled by a woman - and was one of the creators of COBOL, programming language for commercial databases. Not least, Margaret Hamilton, in 1969, was largely responsible for the success of NASA's Apollo 11 operation, and coined the term “software engineering”. In Brazil, in 1974, the bachelor's degree in computer science at USP was composed, almost entirely, by women (70%).
You must ask yourself why this change in the scenario, why the female workforce represents only 17% of the segment, currently. The answer is that, when the technological sector gained strength, men began to assume these roles and were strongly encouraged by their families to study and pursue a career in the field. Consequently, for cultural reasons, the participation of women declined, since the distinctions of tasks at the time were very present in society. The computer became the gift of the boys, while the girls continued to earn only dolls.
The lack of social stimulus and the imposition of some paradigms removed women from this market and along with the advancement of technology, the predominance of males in the sector's functions also advanced.
However, it is necessary to demystify the idea that computing is an area for men! There is a lot of space within this market and there is also a shortage of qualified labor. Technology has embraced us, now it is present in almost every moment of our daily lives, which also expands the possibilities of professional performance. This is not a macho segment, as it develops solutions that apply to different segments, products and audiences. Therefore, its creators also need this diversity, in order to make it increasingly plural, more democratized.
Today, as CIO of a large technology company, I can say that I am hopeful about a transformation in this corporate scenario, in fact, I already see changes. I am wanted by young women to tell me about my professional journey and I am happy to see this interest. We are gaining more and more space in the job market and showing that we were born to be professionals beyond the home, deconstructing a conservative culture.
My advice, for all girls and women who dream of entering the IT market, is: GO! Forget prejudices, break paradigms, build technical and interpersonal skills, do your best and get out of your comfort zone, be assertive and have security. We are capable and the market asks for our participation. In fact, a woman's place is where she wants it, even in their homes, in workshops or in technology!
Disclaimer: The opinion presented in this article is the responsibility of its author and not of ABES - Brazilian Association of Software Companies
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