Throughout time, women have continuously proven that they are game changers in innovation and tech. The only problem is, there’s not enough of us!

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of joining the team at Manchester Digital for their ‘Digital Her’ role model meet-up, which brought together women in tech across Greater Manchester to #ImagineTheFuture. At the event, we heard from a panel of impactful women who are making waves in the tech industry, each who discussed the challenges and opportunities facing women. During the afternoon, we also had the chance to get involved and put our ideas together as part of a creative workshop.

Here are some key takeaways from the insightful afternoon:

Imposter syndrome is not you!

It’s something we’ve all experienced at one point or another, and it can have a real effect on how we as women see ourselves. Suffering from chronic self-doubt and believing that you don’t deserve to be in the position that you have worked hard to be in is exhausting! Becky Taylor at Tech Returners explained this perfectly and pointed out that it’s time we realised we are not our doubtful thoughts, and our success is a result of our own efforts.

Women should stop being so polite and start taking what’s theirs!

The use of language is a huge barrier that unknowingly holds women back in reaching their full potential. The language of females has historically followed an indirect, polite, and passive manner, whereas men tend to be unapologetically direct. It is exactly this relationship between linguistics and gender that reflects the requirements of females in society, and the very reason that women miss out on opportunities, for fear of being too ‘cheeky’ or ‘out of line’. So next time you hold yourself back from saying how you truly feel or asking for what you truly want, think about how a man would approach it and do just that!

You have the power to break gender constructs.

Since time began, men and women have had completely different societal expectations to follow. There’s no denying that women have a harder time getting to where they want to be based on how relevant and suited it is to their title as a female. For example, tech has historically been a male-dominated field, with many associating it’s characteristics with being masculine and ‘not an industry for women’. Well, we have some news for you: tech is for everyone, regardless of your gender, and with so many roles within the industry to choose from, there is room for everyone to find their niche.

The tech industry has been male dominated for far too long and whilst we’ve seen advancements in the number of female representatives in the field, there’s still a long way to go. It’s time to see more women in tech and inspire the next generation of powerful females to follow suit.