WOMEN IN HIGH-TECH

I have wanted to work in technology since I was a little girl. I am originally from Greece and my teachers and mentors encouraged me to pursue a career in technology because I was a curious student. The thought of working in a lab appealed to me and led me to study Electrical and Computer Engineering. Because technology is such a diverse discipline, I can also look into fields like physics, maths, or biomedical engineering.  I like what I’m doing and would choose to study the same disciplines all over again if I could go back in time.

My first experience with the Semantic Web was during my time as a researcher in Germany. I first started working with semantic technologies around 2016. Participating in European research initiatives, writing project proposals, working with students, and tutoring both Masters’ and Ph.D. students were all part of the process. I decided to join the Semantic Web Company because I am truly passionate about Semantic Web technologies and I wanted to stay in this field.

Technology, in my opinion, is one of the main forces behind change in the world, but machine learning and artificial intelligence are definitely central topics of interest. Computer vision, machine learning, and natural language processing, which convert data in a wholesome way, benefit almost all industries by helping them make better decisions. Also, conferences that I attend usually focus on these main trends and discuss machine learning techniques in research papers to solve problems and ignite a discussion that goes way beyond the Semantic Web realm.

I think they like the idea of having intelligence that comes from non-human sources. The idea of machines that are able to think or talk has always fascinated humankind and because it also helps to make our lives easier. In the health domain, people profit a lot from it, also it provides automation at work or in the office, or at home, you have a robot to clean your house.

Artificial intelligence is also telling your dishwasher how to clean your dishes it was designed and programmed to make decisions for you that you would normally not even think about, like for example how much water and soap you need for a load of dishes.

As a Greek citizen, the first thing that comes to mind is the Greek root of the word “technology.” It derives from the word ‘τεχνoλογία’ which is a synthetic form ‘techne’ (τέχνη) + ‘logos’ (λόγος). Techne means art, skill, or craft. Logos means word, the utterance by which inward thought is expressed.

Technology affects our lives in so many ways and on a daily basis. Starting in our homes, where robots clean our floors, make our coffee, or do our laundry or dishes. In the office, technology is intertwined with nearly every task we perform. Technology provides an opportunity to improve our daily lives.

I think the short and potential long-term disruptions from COVID vary. In general, people connect and collaborate more and have moved significant parts of their lives into online spheres. Be it to order groceries online, chat with your friends, or watch Netflix after work. I like the concept of remote work because now it is possible to work from anywhere in the world, and our efficiency or productivity is not affected by this new reality.

There is, however, another side to the coin. The pandemic has disrupted our labor market greatly, and lots of people have lost their jobs. The pandemic impacted women the hardest, especially those working in low-paying service occupations with high levels of stress. Parenting obviously plays a role here too. Women are oftentimes still the main caretakers of children and have to leave the workforce to look after their children, provide homeschooling, etc.

As a result, women must find other jobs that allow them to balance their personal and professional lives. Of course, society puts pressure on you to take care of the children and tells you that you are a bad person if you work too much. What many people still forget is that women not only work and raise their children but also shoulder most of the housework by themselves. Unpaid, of course. The gender pension gap is a result of this reality and causes women to financially co-depend on men.

I see a big lack of women in tech, especially in Germany and Austria, and this can also be seen at universities or grad schools, where most students are male. When I was teaching an international program at the University of Aachen, we had lots of women from all over the world but very few from Central Europe.

That’s a good question, and I obviously don’t have an answer for that, but I assume that maybe girls in Austria and Germany have been raised with this stubborn stereotype that girls are not good at math or science in general. If they think that their skills are inborn, it only makes sense that they are less likely to put in energy and hard work. This idea then translates to them only pursuing certain “approved” studies such as literature or history, whereas men have been encouraged to go into science, technology, or engineering.

My husband and I are also very privileged to live in Vienna, where we have tremendous support from the kindergartens my children go to. I wouldn’t be able to work more, though.