As modern women entering the professional world, we hear words such as “glass ceiling” and “wage gap” often. But they may not always seem so real to us.
Many of us will probably find a job in the Silicon Valley at some point in our lives. So it is important to know that the companies in the area often make it difficult to climb up the corporate ladder. That is, if you are a woman. According to Business Insider, women hold less than 11% of executive positions in the Silicon Valley, compared to the (also fairly dismal) national average of 16%.
These numbers might have something to do with the poor diversity statistics of tech companies in the Bay. Overall, only about 29% of employees at Silicon Valley tech companies are women, with Amazon hiring the most and Intel hiring the least. And the amount of these women who work in tech are even lower, hovering around 15%. Leadership, on the other hand, including executive and managerial positions, is only slightly better at 22%.
So what does this mean for us?
Women make up 51% of the US population, but 59% of the US workforce. That means that there are a lot more women in lower positions, and not nearly enough as leaders and women of power. Many people will say that this discrepancy is caused by women’s reluctance to be assertive, and unfortunately this may have some truth. Studies have shown that during a job interview, men are much more likely to ask for a higher starting salary than an equally qualified woman might.
If you’re already an assertive and fierce lady, congratulations! Keep doing what you’re doing, and keep being fabulous. But if not, just remember that you are worth the fight! We ladies have to band together in the workplace in order to stand up for each other and for ourselves. Together, we can join ranks and infiltrate the forces of the Silicon Valley.