More Women Taking The Stage In Fintech Industry

Looking around, it is not difficult to notice that there is a clear abundance of technology that surrounds us from every angle. Like it or not, we live in a modern world that is absolutely immersed in and surrounded by feats of digitalisation and technological advancement. We have created this world, bringing it up from the ground up, and now that it is here, it is obvious that the industries that house technologies as their core components, are becoming more fundamentally important to the economical standing point of the world as we know it.

The fintech (finance technology) industry is one of those exceedingly important industries. This is an industry that essentially operates as a facet of the wider finance sector. As the digital era continues to become more pronounced, it becomes more important that dedicated, intelligent, and hard-working professionals drive the industry forward. The men and women who work within fintech are responsible for the growth and ongoing development of one of the most important industries in the modern world, but that is not to say it is an industry without its flaws – one of which, interestingly, exists within its constructs.

Understanding the historical gender bias in the field
Women in tech, and especially women in fields like fintech and other STEM fields, face what is arguably the single largest gender inequality scale there is in the professional landscape today. While many (if not all) industries faced gender bias and discrimination at some point in the past, fintech and STEM fields are two of the few left that are still facing these issues today. While historically more men have always worked in fintech, research shows that there have always been female professionals in the field and, more importantly, the number of female professionals continues to grow, even now.

Acknowledging that female professionals in fintech still face the struggle
Whether a dedicated female professional wants to build a career as a Pepperstone forex broker or an accountancy consultant (or any other manner of career trajectories in the fintech industry, for that matter), it is undeniable that there has been a historical gender gap in the field. This is not exactly unexpected, but the fact that it is a gap that is still so pronounced is, frankly, concerning (to say the least). As well as pay gaps, female professionals in fintech report being belittled and harassed throughout their careers, making it challenging to persevere in an industry that still feels lost in the 50s when it comes to gender equality.

Building up and supporting the women working to level out the gap
While the history of gender bias and discrimination in the field is no doubt disheartening, it is also important to pay homage and respect to the females within the fintech industry, or coming into it, that are working hard to level out the gender gap in the field. It is of course alarming that in 2019 we are still seeing a gender gap of any kind in the professional landscape. Finally, however, we are seeing that gap begin to close. As more and more female professionals find their footing in the fintech industry, the gender gap is finally starting to level out. It is a hopeful sign of promise for what is (hopefully) to come in the near future.

Photo by CoWomen on Unsplash