Written by Zara Wani
Standing on the brink of society’s technological revolution, we witness radical changes that alter the way we live and perform, ultimately leading us into a new dimension. What we search for in this ‘new world’ is a shift to a system that will promote equality, foster growth, and maximize human potential. Undergoing this paradigm shift will allow us to pave our way as we walk on the yellow brick road. Women have provided incredible contributions that allow us to enjoy the many technological innovations today. They have been significant contributors to technology, ever since Ada Lovelace. From being advanced mathematicians to developing software, women have proved that they do not deserve the double standards and discrimination still prevalent in today’s society. Women were leaders of yesterday, are leaders of today, and will be the leaders of tomorrow.
Ada Lovelace
Picture Obtained from eu-startups.com
The virtual world interlinks us with modern society, allowing us to explore and connect using the digital landscape. As there are women who have specialized in every technological field, truly they have made an indelible mark in entertainment and efficiency through software applications.
A prime example: Ida Tin, the founder of the medically-recommended menstrual tracking app, Clue, an application available both on IOS and Android platforms. When interviewed back in 2017 by Business Insider, Tin stated: “Clue is a brand for female health at the highest level but it’s also a tracking app to help women understand what is going on in their [menstrual] cycles and their bodies more broadly.” Many women have discovered the wonders of the application as it allows them to monitor and document every cycle, which in turn has a positive impact on their bodies.
Ida Tin
Picture Obtained from forbes.com
Another innovation in the female tech space revolves around Melanie Perkins, the founder of Canva, a graphic-design company valued at $3.2 billion. Essentially, Canva is an online tool that allows the user to create and/or publish professional-quality designs as easy and affordable as possible. During an interview with the Entrepreneur (2019), Perkins states “I guess you could say that design had always played a big role in my life. When I was 14, I started my first business creating handmade scarves that I sold at shops and markets throughout Perth, and I never forgot the freedom and excitement of being able to build a business. That was one of the driving forces that led me to launch what would evolve to be Canva.” Melanie envisioned and built Canva from the ground up and has received international recognition. Melanie’s persevering and hard-working work ethic is truly one to be reckoned with.
Melanie Perkins
Picture Obtained from https://twitter.com/melaniecanva?lang=fi
Lastly, another dominant woman in tech is Kayla Itsines, the founder of Sweat. With over 11 million followers on Instagram, she motivates her followers to practice hard-work, discipline, consistency, and commitment. Sweat (available both on IOS and Android platforms) is a personal fitness and training application that allows the female community to benefit from a vast array of features including several types of workouts and meal plans. Injecting positivity and motivation through her app, she inspires people to go the extra mile. Some of her famous quotes include: “Stop waiting for Monday, January first or anything else. Start now“ and “Motivation is what gets you started, habit is what keeps you going.” With her #bbg hashtag, followers post their life-changing transformations. As a woman inspiring and initiating change in the lives of others, Itsines has been regarded as one of today’s respected life-changing influencers.
Kayla Itsines
Picture Obtained from womenshealthmag.com
The military hired hundreds of women to solve complex calculations that would improve the accuracy of the weapons during the Second World War. The perseverance embedded as a chip in the minds of these women throughout the course of historic wars has molded a spark in their creativity, values, beliefs, and imagination. As women ventured out in different sectors of society throughout history, they will always remain here in the workforce to stay for good. Revolving around a technological space and channeling it as a creative tool of imagination allows us to change lives for the better. Throughout history, women have always been told to stand aside. But today, women have yearned to redefine the standards, and have been succeeding at altering the pre-existing gender-biased views. Women aspire to have a hand at building the foundation for tomorrow’s innovations. As women make up half of the world’s population, we are the music that the planet dances to, we are the leaders of tomorrow, we are women.
WiTech 