International Women's Day: Lessons from Women in Tech

International Women's Day is a global celebration that recognizes the achievements of women across all aspects of life, from social to economic, cultural, and political advancements. At anynines, we are proud to join this celebration, especially acknowledging the significant contributions of women in the tech industry! Our team is enriched with talented women who not only bring diverse perspectives but also drive innovation and progress within our company and the tech community at large.

The Role of Women in Tech at anynines

At anynines, we understand that diversity is not just about being inclusive; it's about being smart. Our women in tech are pivotal in crafting the solutions that our clients rely on, embodying roles that span from full stack development to cloud-native application development. They are problem solvers, innovators, and leaders who contribute to every phase of our project lifecycle. Their work is at the heart of our company, ensuring our technologies are resilient, scalable, and cutting-edge.

Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Opportunities

The path for women in tech is not without its challenges. From overcoming stereotypes to breaking barriers in a traditionally male-dominated industry, our team members have stories of resilience and determination. But more importantly, they have stories of success. At anynines, we strive to create an environment where our women in tech feel supported, valued, and empowered to reach their full potential. We believe in providing equal opportunities for professional growth, learning, and leadership.

A Safe and Supportive Environment: The tech industry, unfortunately, remains male-dominated, and experiences of misogyny are not uncommon. At anynines, we stand firmly against such behavior. Ensuring a workplace where gender does not invite bias or unfair treatment is pivotal to our ethos. Our environment is one where concerns are taken seriously, opinions are valued, and open communication is encouraged, enabling everyone to contribute their best without fear of gender-based prejudice.

At anynines, We Embrace Acceptance and Individuality: Our core beliefs is authenticity. We are accepting of each team member as they are. This acceptance is foundational to building a team that values diversity and encourages individuals to bring their authentic selves to work. Our efforts to fulfill employees' needs for a flexible work-life balance further demonstrate our understanding that success and satisfaction stem from harmony between professional and personal life.

Celebrating Achievements and Contributions

The achievements of our women in tech are manifold. They have led crucial projects to success, innovated our processes, and contributed to our culture of continuous learning and improvement. Their work not only enhances our offerings but also drives forward the entire tech ecosystem. On International Women's Day, we celebrate not just the individual accomplishments of our women team members but also their collective impact on our company and beyond.

Community Engagement and Mentorship

As we celebrate International Women's Day, anynines reaffirms its commitment to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We recognize that our strength lies in our diversity, and we are dedicated to expanding efforts to support women in tech in areas like initiatives for mentoring, career development, and workshops designed to address the unique challenges faced by women in our industry.

We support and encourage our team members to mentor and inspire the next generation, we contribute to building a more inclusive and diverse tech community. These initiatives not only help others embark on their tech careers but also foster a culture of learning, sharing, and growth among our team.

From embracing individuality and ensuring a supportive work environment to recognizing contributions and encouraging community engagement, we are dedicated to making anynines not just a workplace, but a place where women can excel, inspire, and lead in tech.

A Call to Action

On this International Women's Day, we call upon our peers in the tech industry and beyond to join us in recognizing and supporting the contributions of women. Let's work together to create environments where women can thrive in tech, breaking down barriers and building a more inclusive and equitable industry.

At anynines, we are immensely proud of our women in tech and grateful for their hard work, dedication, and innovation. They are not just a part of our success; they are at its very core. Here's to celebrating their achievements today and every day, and to continuing our work towards an inclusive, diverse, and vibrant tech community. Happy International Women's Day!

We interviewed some of our own women in tech within anynines to learn more about their experiences in being a women working in the technology industry.

Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in tech, and specifically in development?

Monika Dondorf, Full Stack Web Developer at anynines: "Since I’ve been a kid I’ve been fascinated by coding. By the age of 8, if I remember correctly, I started writing my first basic programs on a V-Tech Genius Leader 4004 Quadro L kids laptop. Initially I followed my interest to learn foreign languages and to work in tourism. Which turned out to be quite shallow! I’ve been seeking a more challenging profession that stimulates my brain sufficiently. So working in IT always seemed to me like a real challenge. Being quite intimidated by all those 24/7 nerds motivated me to somehow keep up with them and study super hard. I succeeded as best of my year regionally and meanwhile am working in this field since already for 14 years! During my job training it turned out that I’m quite into these backend calculation and testing processes. The frontend as a visual playground of these provides a good balance. Working as a fullstack developer never gets boring, you’ll always have to see the big picture and keep up with the newest techniques and releases."

Kristela Kaja, Developer at anynines: "I didn’t start with programming because I was inspired by something, I just liked it so I pursued it. For me, programming in general is like solving a puzzle. However, you don’t only have to solve the puzzle–you also have to figure out a way to solve it in the most efficient, secure, reliable, etc. way. This makes it even more interesting to me; you have to consider all these aspects and come up with the “best solution”. (Spoiler alert: There is no such thing as the best solution because it all depends on the angle you look at it.) I got into fullstack, because I think it is easier to develop if you know what is going on in the frontend and the backend. It helps you better solve the puzzle I mentioned above."

Q: "What advice would you give to someone considering a career in tech?"

Elizaveta Voziianova, Developer at anynines: "First of all, don't be afraid to jump into this male-dominated industry. Yes, you will be surrounded by men most of the time, but that won't change if we, the girls, leave this world of development to the men. Don't be afraid to ask questions, even if they seem stupid, even if you are confronted with gaslighting - the most important thing is that you experience and learn. And one day you will be the expert that people ask."

Kristela Kaja, Developer at anynines: "Just look at computer science or programming as every other profession. That computer science professions lack diversity is not a positive fact and it can negatively affect everyone. To people who want to start computer science careers, if you find the right company you don’t even notice the gender difference. I can say that in the years I’ve worked at anynines, I have never felt that I have been treated differently on my team or by my colleagues because of my gender."

Q: "What challenges have you faced as a woman in tech, and how have you overcome them?"

Elizaveta Voziianova, Developer at anynines: "The hardest part is the interview. You are already nervous about the process, and then you have to present yourself to men who are usually already sceptical about you as a female developer. How do you overcome that? Just be confident in yourself and your experience, keep improving your professional knowledge and don't be shy, you're worth it!"

Monika Dondorf, Full Stack Web Developer at anynines: "My personal main challenge was always being underrated and underestimated. Back in the day, I was the only female in IT class and later in the IT department.

I had to face ridiculous, humiliating job interviews where the technical lead doubted any of my coding experiences. This theme continued with work colleagues seeking help but ignoring my solutions but favoring the same response from a male colleague. Looking back I don’t understand how I could keep on being quiet and polite. But I did and just kept on doing my best. I changed jobs and each time, with my gained experience, I’ve been treated accordingly. I learned about my strengths and weaknesses and how to speak up. That my opinion and experience is also crucial and matters. By just being quiet you won’t earn respect in this society.

Meanwhile I’m just so happy with my position, lovely team and clients at anynines. We practice mutual respect and appreciation on a daily basis and by the years we also have more female colleagues."

Jenn Cartossa, Platform Engineer at anynines: "Unfortunately, women and other gender minorities face gender-based discrimination on a daily basis, and it has a significant impact. Did you know that 70% of women leave the tech industry within the first five years of their career, or that women are impacted in tech by lack of opportunities, layoffs, and pay gaps more than men? Women of color are impacted at least 15% more (stats).

In my own experience, microaggressions most often came from people who actually meant well. For instance, someone thinks they’re helping by explaining something, but it’s a topic I already understand–yet it’s the third time that day it’s been explained to me. It’s exhausting to manage these interactions, and even though I’m the person experiencing the discrimination, it’s often been viewed as my job to educate the person who is mistreating me. Spending my energy on these types of issues is draining, whether it happens in everyday life or in a professional setting. But if I don't inform them, who will?

If I have the emotional energy for it, I manage these frustrating experiences by responding in a way that allows me to take back my power. My responses:

• Someone explaining something I know → 'Thank you for summarizing. I’m deeply experienced with this topic, so if you need help understanding the nuances of the issue I’d be happy to explain after the meeting.'
• Someone taking credit for my work → 'Thanks for highlighting the research I did. I agree that my research is essential to the discussion and I’m happy to elaborate on my findings.'
• A disrespectful comment in a meeting → 'I don’t agree with your evaluation and I think there are more inclusive ways to express your idea. Perhaps what you were trying to communicate is….'

I won’t pretend it’s easy, but the impact of not speaking up during these moments is significant. I’ve found that my biggest blocker for promotion is usually my image within my organization, not the quality of my work or skills, and I think this is a problem many women experience. When I speak up, I am re-writing the narrative of the comments and taking ownership of my wins.

Most people assume the biggest challenges of working in a male-dominated field are big moments, like the missed promotion or the unexpected layoff. These hurt. However, it’s really the day-to-day moments that grind me down, and have even led to burnout. I can only stay in the industry if I reduce the impact of these moments for myself."