Pinsent Masons' Donna Mayers and Charlotte Roxon discuss tech law, technology and the gender pay gap

Pinsent Masons' Donna Mayers and Charlotte Roxon take questions ahead of the Women in Tech Festival next week

Ahead of the Women in Tech Festival on Monday 16th September, Pinsent Masons' Senior Associate Donna Mayers and Solicitor Charlotte Roxon discuss why they chose technology law, what needs to change to help close the gender gap in the tech industry and what they are most looking forward to at the festival.

What first attracted you to work with technology clients specifically?

Donna Mayers (DM): Being such a broad and fast-paced industry I knew the work would be interesting and challenging. My practice spans a range of sectors and jurisdictions and I find that no two days are the same. I advise on a range of matters, including new technologies, telecoms regulation, systems integration, software development and licensing, cloud computing, smart cities and digital transformation. I also worked in the Middle East for a number of years where I helped to influence new regulations in the technology industry of developing countries.

Companies need to put policies and programmes in place to address many of the challenges that women face in the industry

Charlotte Roxon (CR): Technology underpins every aspect of modern life, and so the opportunity to work with such a breadth of clients is really exciting me. In my role, I could be working with an energy company one day, an educational establishment another, and a gaming company the next - they are all technology clients. It means every day is different and I get to learn about a range of industries at the same time, which is fascinating!

What are your thoughts around gender balance in the technology industry? Has it changed since you started working in the industry? If so, how and why?

CR: I have spent the first decade of my career working in the technology sector and have seen a subtle increase in the number of women in tech companies. There are definitely more women on the teams I work with now, but, on balance I'm still far more likely to walk into a meeting and be the only woman in the room. That said, two of my biggest clients right now are women, which is great and I hope a sign that we will start to see the gap close.

DM: Changes are happening, there are some excellent programmes and initiatives being set up to champion women in the tech industry and to attract and retain talent. However, progress is slow and more priority needs to be given to these issues at Board level."

Do you think enough is being done to encourage women to work in the technology industry?

CR: There are many perceptions about the technology sector that I'm sure put a lot of women off. The sad reality is that a lot of these perceptions are rooted in truth. So it's time for the industry to build a culture of progression, equality and open opportunity. This has to start at the top, and every tech company should commit to prioritising gender diversity.

DM: Although there is an increasing focus on gender diversity, more needs to be done. It's an education issue where there needs to be a focus on combating the stereotyping and unconscious bias (including in relation to ‘gender suitable jobs') that is ingrained in our society and reinforced from a young age.

Looking at the technology sector as a whole, what do you think could be done to encourage and enable more women to enter the sector? What do you think the government could do around policies and initiatives? And what do you think organisations could do to both attract and retain female talent?

DM: Companies need to put policies and programmes in place to address many of the challenges that women face in the industry, whether that's mentoring programmes within their business or externally, flexible leave and work schedules, family-friendly policies or promotion processes adjusted or calibrated to make them fair for people that have taken a period of family leave.

From an early age we are still driving more young girls away from the industry as a viable career

Policies need to be inclusive and provide equal opportunities for men and women. Personally, with my firm, I have been involved in a number of gender diversity initiatives such as Project Sky and Female Futures - they are both fantastic!

CR: We need to celebrate technology and showcase the careers that it can offer. From an early age we are still driving more young girls away from the industry as a viable career. We need to have women talking in schools and showing them that women can thrive in careers in tech. It's also important to remember that visibility helps to reset the needle for men in the industry. It's not just about inspiring women, but working with men to help educate and collaboratively work towards equality in the industry.

What do you think the biggest barriers are to women when looking for jobs in tech?

CR: There is a lack of representation when it comes to women in tech. You need to be able to see your career path within a company and this lack of representation means that jobs in technology can be hard to visualise. It's not necessarily about having role models, but rather it's about normalising women in the technology industry.

The tech industry can be hectic and unpredictable, which is one of the many reasons it's so exciting

I also think that more needs to be done to move away from the ‘always on' culture that the technology industry seems to have created. True work flexibility and agility means being able to turn off your phone and recharge.

DM: Gender bias in the workplace and the pay gap across the industry. There are not enough female role models and mentors and perhaps there is a lack of knowledge regarding the jobs the industry has to offer and the qualifications needed to secure them.

Why do you think events such as the Women in Tech Festival are important?

CR: The Women in Tech Festival and other similar events give women a voice and an opportunity to help guide and inspire women in tech. More importantly, it can help us reach out to the next generation of women in tech and, hopefully, demonstrate that there is a place here for you too.

DM: They inspire and empower women, providing opportunities to learn from senior role models in the industry, and to discuss candidly the challenges they have faced in the industry and how they can be overcome. These events also provide invaluable networking opportunities amongst peers.

What sessions are you most looking forward to attending at the festival and why?

DM: The panel discussion on balancing the scales of life. As a new mother, having recently returned to work, this is something I am learning to manage alongside new challenges. I look forward to hearing how other professional women in the industry approach this and hope to leave with some ideas to trial.

CR: I too am really looking forward to the session on 'Balancing the Scales of Life' - the tech industry can be hectic and unpredictable, which is one of the many reasons it's so exciting, but at the same time this can add stress on both your work life and your personal life. I'm definitely hoping to get some top tips from women who have been through it all before.

Computing and CRN have united to present the Women in Tech Festival UK 2019, on 17 September in London.

The event will celebrate successful women in the IT industry, enabling attendes to hear about, and to share, personal experiences of professional journeys and challenges.

Whether you're the ‘Next Generation', an ‘Inspirational Leader', or an ‘Innovator of Tech' this event will offer inspiration on not only how to improve yourself, but how to help others too. The event is ONLY for qualifying IT pros, but places will go fast