What It Really Means to Be a Woman in Tech Today

When you think of women in tech, do you picture a hoodie-wearing coder in a dark room? While those women exist, and we celebrate them, the reality is far broader, more powerful, and closer to home than you think.

Today, a woman in tech can be a founder, a woman who doesn’t have a computer science degree — but has determination and leadership qualities. She is in finance, in operations, in customer experience, or even behind the scenes — managing the systems that keep everything running. If your work touches infrastructure, innovation, digital strategy, you are a woman in tech.

As someone building her career in fintech and operations, while navigating motherhood and personal reinvention, I’ve come to realise this truth, I don’t need to be a coder to count.

Let’s unpack what it really means to be a woman in tech in today’s world.

A woman in tech is any woman who:

• Uses tech as a core part of her work
• Shapes, leads or manages digital systems and tools
• Is learning, growing, and building her way into the industry, even if she’s still at the beginning 

They are:

• The unknown support engineer keeping apps running
• The tester ensuring your banking app never crashes
• Helpdesk agents dealing with difficult clients
• The IT auditors ensuring the security of systems
• Women leading change from the inside; with heart and logic

And importantly, they also work in entry-level roles changing their lives, their families, and the face of tech with every step forward.

Why Visibility Matters

The issue isn’t whether women are in tech.

We are! The challenge is, we’re not always seen because we’re often told:

• You’re not technical enough
• You don’t fit the mold
• Wait until you’re more qualified - you don’t have to know everything to add value

But here’s the thing, tech needs diverse minds, not just degrees. It needs transformation, not just tradition. It needs more women who lead with both structure and soul, ensuring we are nurturing and mentoring those behind us.

As someone recently appointed as an operations manager in a fintech organisation, I didn’t always feel like I belonged in this space. I started as a receptionist in a software company, moving through various roles, learning along the way, unsure if I could ever take up space in rooms full of developers, Product heads, and tech strategists, but what I’ve realised is this, Growth isn’t always loud, sometimes it’s quiet, slow, but incredibly powerful. Now, I choose to stand in my story not despite my nontraditional path, but because of it. I may not write code, but I’ve been part of the teams that build systems and implement them. I may not have it all figured out but I belong here.

To every woman:   Starting out, switching careers, raising kids and writing strategies, managing systems while managing life...

Let’s redefine the room and then take our rightful place in it. When you don’t see yourself in the room, it’s easy to believe you don’t belong there, belonging isn’t something you’re given — it’s something you build

You don’t have to be perfect, to be powerful. You just have to be present.

At Linktank we have a great team of ladies in tech driving and spearheading. Maybe you’ve spoken to one of them whilst needing assistance from our help desk, trying to find the right software for your business or on Platforms talking all things tech. Head to our website to meet them all. We’re all making an impact one way or another. Meet the Women of Linktank — https://www.linktank.co.za/meet-the-team 

Written by Bame Mabuse
Operations Manager