The Importance of Women in Data Science

Women have carved a niche for themselves in almost every field one could possibly think of. Business, finance, marketing, IT, law – you name it and you’ll find women doing a great job without any difficulty. However, data science is that one field that’s still a little unexplored by women. And considering the potential that women have, this field can see remarkable changes in the days ahead. What’s been observed so far is that the data science industry is men-dominated and the number of females who’ve made a career in this field is relatively less. Almost all the data scientists out there are men and this itself raises questions as to why is that so when the skills required to become a data scientist are gender-neutral. Be it critical thinking, structured approach, creativity, intuition, analytical ability, problem-solving techniques, or any similar skill for that matter – all these have nothing to do with whether the person is a male or a female. Women too stand the potential to inculcate all of this and emerge out to be extremely credible data scientists. Then, why aren’t the number of women data scientists shooting up? The fact that data science as a career isn’t something that many people are aware of which is why the number of data scientists across the globe is very less. Making people aware of the same will not only open the door of opportunities for people all around but also bring in more women to the field. No wonder, there’s a staggering difference between the number of men and women in the field. A number of factors have contributed to this like the workplace culture, the level of confidence, lack of interest, no early exposure and inherent bias. Now is the time that women are made to understand what are the opportunities available for them, what will those opportunities involve, and what the quality of life looks like for someone in this role. Women have the potential to cater to business needs and with adequate knowledge of the same can help them achieve results like never before. Additionally, being exposed to the required skills well in advance makes it easy for them to achieve the desired objective. Yes, there are many qualified women out there who fit the eligibility criteria just right but the hurdles don’t seem to stop. Gender diversity could be unbalanced based on the way an organization recruits for a position. Also, the fact that most of the recruitments rely on referrals to determine the top candidates cannot be overlooked. No wonder, it has been observed that teams with more or less equal number of men and women are more likely to be creative, share knowledge and finish tasks faster and efficiently when compared to teams of unequal genders. However, a point worth noting is that closing the gender gap in this field of data science shouldn’t only be about reaching a certain ratio of women to men within the workplace. Even though recruitment is still an issue, the focus should be more about empowering women. It is now time that we change how the system functions with fewer women followed by steps such as informing women interested in or entering this field that skill proficiency isn’t based on gender. With that being said, need of the hour is to bring awareness about this current situation, highlight the growth opportunities available, and bring the benefits of gender diversity to light. Well, better late than never!!