Why women matter in our industry

8 March 2022

Today is International Women's Day, a day where we celebrate the achievements of women all around the globe. We took this opportunity to highlight some of the amazing women within the i3D.net family and check up on their thoughts on women's position in our industry.

Here’s what they said when we asked them to share their thoughts on what it means to be a part of our industry and what unique contributions they bring to the table:

"I can see there is this preconception that women, in general, are not technical or interested in technology at all. As a woman in the IT industry, it's my mission to empower girls to not be scared away from a male-dominated industry and follow their interests in IT. I firmly believe having a 50/50 men and women equation brings more empathy in teams which benefits everyone in the end."

Toyah van der Stel, Marketing Team Lead at i3D.net

"I don't see the stereotype 'all men or women in IT'. Some people are super-creative while others are traditional. Some are punctual while others like deadlines. Talkers or listeners. We need those characteristics. Balance is key. By actively adding diverse people into the group, you get a way more interesting and fulfilling place to work. Our differences make us unique and all equally valuable."

Lot Meerman, Scrum Master at i3D.net

"Working in the tech industry is very dynamic. Women in the tech industry are severely underrepresented. More diverse teams perform better. Men and women are equally skilled in IT, but the idea that IT is for men is unconsciously fostered early on and examples of male role models are often shown in pictures that are Tech related. Let's change that! Because you can't be, what you can't see."

Daley Jager, Data Center Team Lead at Smartdc

“Play to your strengths and recognize your own worth; If you can identify what's unique in your background, use those skills to advance. No one will appreciate your contributions until you appreciate them yourself. We need more leaders with human qualities. And women have that, naturally.”

Karin Valente, HR Manager at i3D.net

"Everybody has a place in the IT world. It's the way it connects us all to each other regardless of race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender (identity) and religion. Therefore, everybody should have the chance to help create new connections and new ways of communicating. This is something we could never even imagine just a few years ago."

Scarlett Samantha Verheul, Backend Software Engineer at i3D.net

"Diversity is crucial to all industries as it leads to diversity in decision making. Unfortunately IT is very much a male-dominated industry. Mainly because of this, I felt reluctant to enter this industry, so I started a career in communications. It took me several years to finally decide to do what I really like and to apply for a master in Computer Science. I believe it is very important that we help girls in making career decisions towards tech. Having more women in our industry will help with creating role models, which will also make it more appealing for girls to start a career in IT."

Evelien Smeenk, Development Team Lead at i3D.net
Main Take-Aways

Women bring unique contributions to our industry and our company, which is why we should continue to push for more gender equality both within our company and in the industry at large.