The Lack of Latino Women in Technology Fields

Photo courtesy of University of Phoenix.
Photo courtesy of University of Phoenix.

Technology nowadays touches almost every aspect of our lives, helping with everything from supporting doctors during surgery to creating programs to help children with disabilities access the learning tools they need to succeed. No matter what you are passionate about, a career in technology can help you become a creator of products instead of a consumer, giving you the knowledge you need to create solutions to everyday problems and challenges. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by 2060 approximately one in every seven people in the U.S. will be a Hispanic woman, or Latina, and despite making up more than half of the professional workforce, women hold only 26% of technology positions and Latinas only 2%.[1]

The Opportunities For Latinas Are There!

There is a huge gender gap when it comes to women in technology fields, but many industries and companies are now aware of this and are trying to address this gender imbalance in computing fields by opening their doors and offering great opportunities for Latinas. Latinas are a huge target group of consumers in the tech world and we need more Latinas who know the culture, who can address Spanish-language problems. We need more tech professionals who can relate to the Latina consumer and influence collaboration to impact progress and innovation in the technology field with the Latino community in mind. Wouldn’t it be amazing to have a voice recognition program that understands Spanglish or a bilingual app that teaches kids about their Latino background?

In our rapidly changing economy, businesses have to remain competitive on a global scale and attracting and retaining Latina talent is key. Rosalba Reynoso, CEO of a software company based in California, says: “As a proud Latina, I can affirm to potential candidates that in this career, the sky is the limit. We (women) are underrepresented with less than 15% of the IT workforce. We are strong leaders and we are demonstrating daily that we can outperform men as leaders. In our company, we are aiming at gender equality, and would gladly hire passionate and motivated women.”

What Is Holding Latinas Back and How to Address These Challenges

For many Latinas, pursuing a career in a traditional environment is not a possibility. We want to improve our lives and the lives of our families; however, leaving home and family behind in search of a career change or personal improvement might not be a possibility. But you don’t have to move to a faraway campus to pursue a career in the technology field; there are many technology career options available online. From programming and web development to information systems security and mobile development, there is something for everyone.

Oftentimes, when you mention technology careers for women many, of us think that we are not techy enough, that our brains are not “wired that way.” But the truth is that women can be very successful at technology-related careers. We have to change our mindset and remind ourselves that we can succeed in whatever we set our minds to and that a career in technology can be very rewarding, interesting, challenging and exciting. Becoming creators instead of just users of new technology gives us the opportunity to change the way technology is used and gives us the option to make a difference in whatever area we are passionate about.

The lack of role models in technology fields can make it hard for us, as Latinas, to relate to these careers, especially if no one in our family works in technology or computing. But there are many Latinas in technology and IT fields who are making a difference. This article on Latina.com, highlighting “24 Latinas Who Are Shining In Tech,” will surely inspire you. They are empowering Latinas, providing them with mentorship opportunities and letting them know that they have what it takes to pursue a career in the technology field. As Latina women, we need to hear these stories from women who look like us, who we can relate to and who face the same challenges and life experiences we do.

Technology Careers Make Sense for Latina Women

Microsoft predicted there will be more IT jobs than there are people working in the field, with both men and women alike being able to fill them. Women earn an average of 77% of what men earn for doing the same jobs in careers outside of science, technology, engineering and math, but women in IT careers (and other STEM careers) earn 33% more than women in non-STEM careers[2]! Meaning, you might end up earning more if you pursue a career in technology.

It’s up to us Latinas to close that diversity and gender gap, to believe in ourselves and realize that we have what it takes and that we can change the world we live in by influencing the technology field. Studying for a technology-related career can be easy and we can do it from home. There are many different and exciting opportunities in the tech field. You can check out my previous article, “5 Technology-Related Online Careers That Latinos Can Excel At,” for some tech career ideas where you can leverage your Latino heritage to stand out and get noticed.

 

I’m compensated by University of Phoenix for this blog. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

[1]http://www.census.gov/population/projections/data/national/2014/summarytables.html

[2] https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/women

Paula Bendfeldt-Diaz

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21 thoughts on “The Lack of Latino Women in Technology Fields”

  1. Estas estadísticas son tristes, pero la verdad no me explico cuál sea el motivo para que esto suceda, pero en parte, creo que se debe a que no hay suficientes oportunidades de trabajo para las latinas.

    Reply
  2. You’re absolutely right, but hopefully with all the STEM programs popping up in the schools these days, things will change 🙂

    Reply
  3. I personally have no experience in this area so I am grateful to be able to learn and be educated in various areas of life. Something to think about for sure. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  4. Women in general do not go into the world of tech and yes I agree they should–Latinas and every other woman who wishes to should go get the training they need to be able to enter the world of at the very least better pay!

    Reply
  5. Interesantísimo. Precisamente sobre la brecha de género en las carreras y los empleos tecnológicos hablamos ayer durante la celebración de TEDx Barcelona Women.

    Reply
  6. super interesante! creo que es bien comun que en muchas de las carreras no hay una presencia abundante de mujeres, pero tengo fe que va cambiar.poco a poco pero seguro

    Reply
  7. Great post.. I may have no clue what I am talking about here, but I think the Latino culture values family a lot, and some of these careers in the technology field aren’t so “family friendly” or make a lot of time for the person to spend with family, so maybe thats one reason why there isn’t so many Latinos in those kinds of fields.

    Reply

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