Tech Talk

In today's world, having two kids and a full-time job is a lot for most women to handle. So when I listened to YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki talk about how she manages raising five kids -- ages 8 months to 15 years old--- while running a multi-billion dollar company, I wanted to bow down and kiss the ground on which she walks.

Hardly a week goes by anymore between posts about the impending doom that will be brought about by a lack of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) workers, particularly in the US. There are many who feel that the shortage is a myth. If you drill down further into different STEM disciplines, and into different specific demographics, the picture gets even more complex.

Conflicting narratives exist to explain why women are underrepresented and underpaid in the technology industry. One popular theory blames a leaky pipeline and a lack of interest in entering the profession. But many women who have worked at tech companies and left the field mid-career blame a hostile culture that is not conducive or sympathetic to women.