Why Are There Fewer Women Leaders in Technology Management?

Sofiya Opatska attended IT Arena 2024 and participated in the business breakfast “SheTech: Empowering Women and Driving Ukraine’s Victory,” organized by Diia.City United together with the Ukrainian-Moldovan American Entrepreneurship Fund (UMAEF) as part of IT Arena.

Leadership has no gender – lack of competence and manners, arrogance, and disrespect can be found among both men and women. However, there is a significant difference in certain contexts and opportunities.

Lecturers at the UCU Leadership Center observe how the gender ratio changes: in bachelor’s programs, the balance between men and women is still equal, but in master’s programs in technology management, the number of women significantly decreases.

“Why don’t women reach higher positions? Because companies pay very little attention to this issue. How can we change it? I liked the idea from one participant that businesses could practice mentorship for women. This has long existed in the cosmetics industry, so why not in technology?

Women lose more in times of crisis.

There are many women who have taken on responsibilities after their husbands decided to serve. Now, they are not only responsible for raising children and managing household affairs but also running companies. This is where they need education. Yet, often they refuse it due to a lack of time or finances.

We talk a lot about physically demanding work for women during wartime, but are we ready to talk about female leadership? Are organizations preparing women for leadership positions?

Today, this is necessary not only for internal operations but also for the international market. In situations where men cannot cross borders, we cannot stop communicating with the world due to the absence of women in top management. Ulyana Khromyak mentioned that there are companies now that don’t even have anyone to send to international events. This needs to change.

Each participant in this event was asked to state their commitment, and if I speak about mine – it is to support the women who are waiting for their loved ones serving in the Defense Forces of Ukraine.”

We leave you with a list of proposed commitments for joint reflection, which each of us can choose to drive change and leadership.