The Soft War in High-Tech Culture

[Commentary] A shocking 73 percent of women in the industry report feeling like an outsider, compared to a mere 17 percent of men. In addition, women are paid less than men, and don’t believe they can get to the top. That worry is well-founded.

What to do? Make sure men and women with equivalent credentials start out at equal levels, and are paid equally and at a competitive rate with others in the industry. Engage and empower senior male executives to sponsor up-and-coming women. If this doesn’t happen, the “boys’ club” will stay firmly in control. Make performance standards totally transparent. With that knowledge, women will be able to determine whether they are being held to a higher standard than men. It’s obvious that unless the culture changes in tech-intensive businesses, women will never realize their dreams, a sad story for women, and for the rest of us, as well.

[Caryl Rivers and Rosalind Barnett are the authors of "The New Soft War on Women"]