Being a young woman in digital can be empowering

Our digital manager Bethany O'Malley has reflected on her time working within the industry:

Being a young woman in digital can be empowering, inspiring, and accelerating. But it can also be challenging, isolated, and intimidating.

Even before my career started, I experienced gender bias in my own home; I grew up in a world where it was implied that women couldn't be in certain jobs or that I wouldn't be able to achieve as highly as a man. But through the support of truly inspirational women in my life, I got taught to question everything, push the boundaries and never give up.

My passion for digital came along in one of my first marketing roles in 2015. I was just fascinated by learning about the digital experience and the process behind UX design. Gaining a place in this industry has been challenging. I've personally experienced gender bias, inequality, sexual harassment/assault in the workplace, reduced opportunities, and a lack of support to develop into senior roles just like so many other women I know.

Now I'm one of a few women in my organisation who works in a digital role. CIH has allowed me to explore opportunities and development in my career, regardless of gender.

"We know that men still outweigh women by three to one in over 53 percent of the UK's digital tech companies, and gender bias and discrimination are still rife in organisations across the UK. I'm working on creating a women's support network at CIH to encourage women at work to share experiences, support each other, and develop new ways to approach this ongoing problem. Everyone has a responsibility in the workplace to tackle gender bias, so here's what you can do to make an impact:

1. Support women in more senior roles
2. Look at ways of changing your recruitment process to become gender-neutral.
3. Do your research on unconscious bias and understand the problem.
4. Stand up to gender bias when it happens.

For more information on International Women'sDay and #breakingthebias visit internationalwomensday.com.