Inclusion lessons for 2024 – FutureIoT – Technologist

“Imagine a gender-equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that’s diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women’s equality. Collectively we can all #InspireInclusion.”

This is the opening statement that will greet anyone visiting the International Women’s Day website.

Over a hundred years on, women (and men) as individuals and as members of different organisations push for greater equality in society. It’s been 113 years since the event started, and while parity has yet to be achieved, progress continues to move forward.

“Women continue to be underrepresented in cybersecurity, and those who are in the sector are still having to cope with regular scepticism from men about their skills, and even the idea that their presence is only due to gender quotas,” said Shamla Naidoo, head of cloud strategy at Netskope.

She goes on to point out that in some cases women still face persistent and deplorable behaviours such as being talked over or not having their views heard or considered, and they generally must prove themselves more than their male counterparts.

“This situation is a significant deterrent to building any sense of belonging among women in cybersecurity, as well as a feeling of confidence and relevance, let alone empowerment,” she commented. “The industry as a whole seems to retain men better than women, which is a testament that there’s a need for a cultural change.”

Heng Huey Lih, the general manager for Channel and Partner Ecosystem Sales for APAC at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), revealed that at HPE, there is an active effort to foster an inclusive culture where diverse voices are celebrated and people from different backgrounds can thrive.

“Our senior leadership has measurable diversity and inclusion goals that we use to hold ourselves accountable for the progress we are making,” she continued.

She opined that a diverse workforce with different perspectives and skill sets helps fuel innovation and creativity. “HPE has made it our priority to attract and retain top talent from diverse backgrounds, including women,” she added.

“Thankfully, the tech industry and society more broadly, are acknowledging the importance of diversity and women’s empowerment to organisational success, because it will take our collective efforts to make the positive changes, we know are needed to move the needle on this important issue,” said Heng.

What is the most prevalent obstacle to inclusion?

Naidoo sees two main obstacles. She identifies the first as the perception that gender balance and inclusion are not business critical, but rather nice-to-haves. That said, she notes that many studies are proving that diverse organisations where people from all backgrounds feel that they belong outperform their peers.

“We need to shift perceptions about gender balance and inclusion among leadership teams and boards, and bring home the idea that they are business-critical metrics directly contributing to performance and success.”

Shamla Naidoo

Narrowing her comments to cybersecurity, she concluded that women in cybersecurity disproportionately hold positions in the ‘admin’ categories of cybersecurity, such as policy, governance, or testing, which can be perceived as less important or valuable.

“We need more women occupying more central and technical roles within cybersecurity teams, and who not only would encourage more to follow their path but also legitimise the value of women in cybersecurity,” she called out.

She lamented that this won’t be achieved until more women join STEM programs where they will learn the hardcore technical skills necessary to reach these roles.

HPE’s Heng concedes that there remains an unconscious bias in the tech industry and that overcoming it requires self-awareness and training as part of an ongoing process that takes time and persistence.

“Although we’ve seen the emergence of more diversity and inclusion training within organisations, more is needed for employees to truly understand the benefits of inclusion in a work environment,” she continued.

“A prevalent obstacle for women in the workplace that I have observed is a tendency towards self-doubting thoughts sometimes described as “imposter syndrome” that leaves women less likely to ask for stretch assignments or less inclined to ask for promotions,” said Heng.

She added that this is where coaching and mentorship play an important role and is the reason why I have been actively engaged in HPE’s “In Her Element” women’s group.

She also acknowledged that a lack of diverse representation in leadership roles remains an ongoing challenge for several industries, including the tech industry. “Having more women at the top is important to including a breadth of perspectives in decision-making roles and gives employees from underrepresented backgrounds a deeper sense of belonging in their company,” she exclaimed. 

What can we learn in terms of achieving inclusion?

For Naidoo, achieving inclusion comes with making women feel more relevant, and thus valuable and important. To make this happen, she suggested, it is important to have proper mentorship from cybersecurity leaders, from those who are willing to build their skills, holding their hands and leading them through the learning process.

“Too often we approach women upskilling by giving them learning material, like it’s a set and forget process. If it was that easy, there would be many more successful women in cybersecurity,” she added.

She believes it is critical organisations and cybersecurity leaders think this through and make the effort to empower women in our industry. Inclusive teams not only bring a diversity of thoughts and deliver more ideas and creativity, but also generally perform better, and show higher job satisfaction rates, and lower attrition.

Heng revealed that HPE has made proactive and intentional efforts to address these challenges in our organisation. “We have implemented diversity training to educate our people on the benefits of workplace inclusion, how to recognise and address unconscious bias, as well as how to foster an inclusive culture,” she added.

She claimed that HPE’s talent recruitment and development process is fair and inclusive. “We have also committed to nurturing talent from underrepresented backgrounds, including setting targets to increase representation of women in executive roles,” she continued.

“In my current role, I serve as an executive sponsor of our “In Her Element” group and host monthly activities to promote diversity and inclusion at HPE Singapore.”

Heng Huey Lih

How will you inspire inclusion?

For Naidoo, inspiring inclusion doesn’t require special skills, just human values and a genuine will to be supportive and helpful and take time to be a mentor and help women entering the field to build the right skills that will help them be successful.

“I want other women to see me as such an ally and potential mentor and know that I’m ready to take their hands when they feel overwhelmed,” she added. “I think my role as a cybersecurity leader is also to encourage my counterparts to take more chances on women and create career opportunities in the space for them.

“There’s still some reluctance to consider bringing and upskilling more women, which in my opinion is a real missed opportunity,” she lamented. “Ultimately the idea is to help women become an asset that creates business value.”

Heng believes that inclusion is about more than just numbers. “It’s about creating an environment where diverse voices know that their ideas are valued and sought after,” she added.

She posited that fostering inclusion requires proactive efforts, such as implementing inclusive hiring practices, providing training on unconscious bias, and creating spaces where everyone feels comfortable sharing their perspectives.

“It’s also crucial to actively seek out and amplify underrepresented voices, ensuring that all individuals have equal opportunities to contribute and thrive within the organisation,” she concluded.