Fnality is taking serious action to address unconscious bias and a major focus for this quarter has been to support the 2023 International Women's Day’s theme #EmbraceEquity.
Fnality asked for volunteers to write an article about what it means to be a woman in FinTech. Brave, I thought. Because if it's true that a few women have broken the glass ceiling, a lot remains to be conquered. So, as you can guess, I volunteered!
A few years ago, I used to react combatively whenever I felt I had been treated differently because of my gender. However, over time, I've learnt to observe and not take such behaviour as a personal attack. I have crafted my own recipe to overcome these issues gradually, which I will share with you.
It is not my intention to suggest that women should give up, but we should realise that there are privileged categories of people. Though we may be underprivileged compared to men, we might be more privileged when compared to other underrepresented minorities (see the wheel of privilege). By observing I've noticed some common discriminatory behaviours motivated by some men’s best intentions.
I have many examples where I have witnessed or personally experienced gender bias and used to feel undermined as a professional. I'm sure these examples will resonate with other women. These include some men’s unconscious belief in the high value of their opinions, causing them to interrupt women's mid-speech (also known as “Manterruption”). Or, the unconscious belief that concepts expressed by women need further clarification or refinement. Additionally, many times, women have achieved something as part of a team, but only male representatives have been publicly congratulated.
Those are only a few examples and the list could continue, but I would rather stop and explain why I said that “I used to feel undermined”: I’ve shifted the focus towards myself, which is a simple concept, but it requires constant training and encouraging myself to step out of the shadows, where women can often be unconsciously encouraged to stay.
And now, for my recipe of empowerment as a woman in fintech:
By following these steps, I have been able to navigate the challenges of being a woman in fintech and achieve success in my career. I hope this recipe will help other women in the industry to do the same.
I hope my 8-step guide will work for you as it worked pretty well for me.
You may still feel hurt sometimes, but now you’ve got a creative recipe with clear instructions. If you want to discuss further how I’ve navigated my career at a fintech please do reach out.
#womenempowerwomen