All women are leaders — WiLD

Original post published here.

“As technologists, it’s our responsibility to ensure the software powering our world is built by a workforce reflective of the society we serve,” said Dr. Rebecca Parsons, Chief Technology Officer, ThoughtWorks. “Programming and design decisions are too often made by homogenous teams, allowing human and structural bias, both conscious and unconscious, to creep into systems. To safeguard against a perpetual cycle of bias, which becomes increasingly difficult to break, inputs must come from a diverse set of technologists. Building better tech for tomorrow requires all of us to act with urgency today in addressing and solving the challenges of building and maintaining a diverse workforce.”
- Dr. Rebecca Parsons, Women Who Code Advisory Council Member

Creating a home for people, however they identify, isn’t just about attracting them. It’s about creating an environment where they feel welcome, respected, listened to and where interesting paths are open to them. It’s about retaining and creating opportunities for everyone — whatever kind of leader they are.

One of the most successful ways we have managed to build our gender diversity through to leadership is by introducing WiLD, our Women in Leadership Development program. This three-minute video talks about the program — what it is and what makes it special — we hope it inspires you.

We’ve received the Top Companies for Women Technologists with under 1,000 technical employees award from AnitaB.org in North America in 2016 and 2017. Over the past seven years, we have made great strides in increasing diversity at all levels, from graduate hires to senior leadership, through a variety of programs and approaches. Today, we stand with those committed to driving real change to make technology reflective of the world around us.

Originally published at www.womenwhocode.com.