Fortitude Group strongly believes in gender equality and encourages inclusiveness and enhancement of differences.
For these reasons, all the companies of the Group are partners of SheTech, a non-profit association created with the aim of filling the gender gap in the world of technology, digital and entrepreneurship, through networking, empowerment and training activities.
In the past, we organized different types of events in collaboration with SheTech and, finally, last 24th November we had our first in-person breakfast, after two virtual editions.
The breakfast was the occasion to learn from our Role Models that have made a successful career out of their passion for technology. A very special thanks goes to Samantha Giro, Marinella Mastrosimone and Ginevra Grassi for sharing their personal & professional stories, being a precious source of inspiration for many young girls and women who want to enter the STEM world.
We admit that it was a surprise also for us, colleagues from the Bitrock team, even if we already knew them: the passion and emotion that we saw in their eyes really struck us. In this blog article, we would like to share some ideas that we have found particularly enlightening and useful for all the women who work in – or want to enter – the Tech world!
Integrate and not differentiate
The STEM sector is indeed, according to the data, more masculine than feminine. However, this should not be a reason for the masculinization of female professionals who decide to enter it and make their own contribution.
On the contrary!
First of all, women should recognize their typical characteristics and then import them into the working context in which they are, not letting that define their behavior.
Typically feminine features such as empathy, multitasking and intuitiveness are fundamental qualities in today’s business, whatever sector it is.
On the other hand, it’s wrong to reject the masculine elements: a lot of them, like rationality, strength and assertiveness, should be internalized.
Therefore, in the STEM sector and more generally in the world of work, a progressive integration and enhancement of feminine and masculine traits should happen: this enriches and completes the professional figures of whatever gender they are.
Listen to your instincts and learn to follow gut feelings… sometimes
During the interview, our Role Models talked about personal and emotional aspects too. A topic that emerged several times was instinct.
Considering today’s data in the STEM sector, it’s normal to be curious about the women’s reasons for choosing to work in it.
By telling their stories, our colleagues have demonstrated that often the situations we live in – both professional and personal – derive from casual events and intuitive decisions.
In this way Samantha started her career in the Mobile sector, Ginevra switched from being an architect to being UI designer, and Marinella often orientated herself by following “gut feelings” rather than logical thinking.
Three women, three professionals who demonstrate that success is not only determined by rigid calculations but it should be supported by flashes of creativity and instinct too.
Love what you do and you can do everything
An increasingly current problem is the mental load: a psychological overload caused by the sum of work, domestic and family thoughts. Working women are probably the most exposed category to this problem, partly due to the typical tendency to have everything under control and partly due to the socio-cultural heritage that female figures still have today.
Asking our Role Models how they deal with this dynamic, this is what emerged: love what you do and do what you love so as to be satisfied and able to manage all aspects of your life.
Obviously, it’s easier said than done, but it’s a good start.
Another way to succeed in content switching is to ask for help both at work and in private not thinking that this indicates incompetence – remember that the ability to delegate and prioritize are two of the key skills of all successful managers!
The first in-person breakfast was truly a success and brought out important aspects that need to be considered in every company.
At Bitrock we have values that reflect the key messages that emerged during the event.
We are committed to implementing them daily through a Leadership Model that envisages a series of dedicated actions, with the final goal of shaping an inclusive, supportive workplace, where effective communication and cross-team collaboration play a crucial role.
For these reasons, our collaboration with SheTech is so important and stimulates us to continuous improvement.
We now have many other events planned, first of all the coding bootcamp that will take place on January 28th focused on React, in which our colleagues (and their skills) will be at the disposal of those wishing to try their hand at a tech challenge… Stay tuned to know more!
