Curiosity and mouth-watering incentives pique the interest of many to explore opportunities within the blockchain space. However, for a significant number of people, particularly women, the perceived lack of technical expertise in this domain deters them from engaging in the industry.
In 2023, the proportion of women occupying leadership positions within the technology sector stood at 28%, marking a significant decrease from the 35% reported in 1984. Not only is the waning figure alarming, but women dabbling in tech leadership roles depart from them by the age of 35, while the majority of those who stay end up feeling burned out and struggling to gain funding for their startups compared to their male peers, according to data compiled by Forbes.
Events like the London Blockchain Conference can serve as a platform to tackle gender disparity in the tech industry, providing women with equal access to opportunities and knowledge to support their entry and participation in the sector, specifically in the blockchain arena and other emerging technologies.
The Women in Blockchain panel event, held in conjunction with the 2024 London Blockchain Conference in May, is regarded as a pivotal initiative in propelling the movement forward. This event serves as a crucial catalyst in advancing the advocacy, emphasising the indispensable role of women in driving meaningful progress within the blockchain sphere.
Co-organized by the London Blockchain Conference and Women in Blockchain Talks, the side event was spearheaded by four women actively contributing to the future of tech space—Women in Blockchain Talks Founder Lavinia Osbourne, nChain CIO Christine Leong, Women in Web3’s Lauren Ingram, and JurnyOn’s Divya Prashanth—who are drawn to the space with their belief that blockchain could help society unlock possibilities and develop real-world solutions.
Recognising Women’s Role in Blockchain
However, having a strong belief in something won’t get women into the blockchain space that easily. Similar to many other sectors, the technology field is riddled with obstacles that require more than just determination and an interest in technology to overcome.
Apart from sexism, many women refused to enter the tech industry over fears that they aren’t tech-savvy enough and incapable of understanding technical terms and processes. In addition to this, while women have gained rights to take up positions in male-dominated sectors, our centuries-old society still expects them to cater to the needs within the household, and with that, requires adequate flexibility to tend to both their work and family—an arrangement that isn’t always available in the often too demanding tech industry.
But times are changing, and with the advent of blockchain and other technologies that sprung from it, women are now presented with opportunities that align with their individual needs.
For women to establish a presence and thrive within the blockchain sector, it is imperative that they adopt an alternative perspective of blockchain, perceiving it as a tool that would help add value to their craft rather than look at it from a technical standpoint.
“It’s very important that women and people from diverse groups don’t just think about blockchain as something that’s not for them, but something that is an opportunity to add that value in order to create, lead and serve,” said Osbourne, the founder of Women in Blockchain Talks and is regarded as the “Oprah of Blockchain.”
Blockchain technology is not solely reliant on technical prowess; diversity plays a pivotal role in driving the industry toward widespread acceptance.
It is essential for the sector to harness the talents of both men and women, along with their diverse thinking, to achieve the ambitious goal of advancing blockchain technology. Nevertheless, while knowledge is valuable, having the confidence and the eagerness to learn and develop is sufficient to navigate the path toward making blockchain a transformative tool, as experts claim it to be.
“I think sometimes it’s very scary to get through the door for anything. It’s daunting. There’s a lot of jargon. There’s a lot of questions that you might not feel overly confident, and there’s a lot of words that may mean different things,” said Leong, nChain’s Chief Information Officer. “I think it’s really important to have your confidence to get through that, and once you’re there, stand up. Stand up for yourself. Stand up for what you believe in and believe in yourself.”
The industry must also acknowledge the need to move past the jargon and buzzwords associated with blockchain to achieve these objectives. Surpassing this barrier would also facilitate the creation of a killer application that could elevate blockchain to the status of an indispensable everyday technology.
“I think once people wake up to that and have that killer application or set of applications, that’s going to be where we see widespread adoption, where it becomes incredibly normal to use blockchain for us every single day,” said Ingram, founder of Women of Web3.
But while guts and a hunger for learning and change are crucial in building a better world on-chain, blockchain education should not be brushed aside, and remains a critical aspect for the technology’s mainstream adoption.
The Women in Blockchain panel event in Mayfair may have been brief, but it touched on raising investments in the emerging tech industry, areas where blockchain can be integrated, and monetisation in the digital age. Most importantly, it made women realise what they can contribute to the space by fostering collaboration.
“I’m so thrilled that the London Blockchain Conference has done this. I’ve had some fantastic conversations with all the women out here, be it women who are looking to start their own start-ups or who are already in on their journey. It’s been fantastic,” shared Prashanth, CEO and Founder of JurnyOn.
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