NoCode, a way to establish the place of women in technology

In 3 figures, it is easy to understand why action is needed to increase the number of women in the Tech sector:

40 % of computer science degrees were awarded to women in Europe and the United States in the 1980s.
And yet, today only 12% of women work in the Tech sector in France.
Worse, 41% of women working in the sector leave their position after 10 years (compared to 17% of men). 

Do we really have to count women to make women count? 

Let's also think about all the ways that exist today to allow women to make a place for themselves in this world, first and foremost the NoCode.

The No-what ?
NoCode /LowCode is a discipline that allows coders and non-technical users to create/deploy applications, sites and optimize processes without the need for developers.

An effective solution is to give women the keys to take control of NoCode.  

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Why?

Because no-code is anew and emerging skill. There is no structural architecture to rebuild. On the contrary, there is room, everything is still to be built and therefore women have a perfect entry way to position themselves and excel. The NoCode offers a real possibility of readjustment for women, it is a new ground to seize!

Probably also because NoCode is a way to become autonomous by automating processes and gaining in productivity. It allows to integrate automatisms and to know how to do things faster and better. It is therefore a saving of time in her daily professional life, a way for women to perform in the tech sector.
And above all, NoCode promotes employability. It allows you to develop an expertise and add a string to your bow. A solution to recruit more women who are trained in it and to rebalance the balance. Mastering NoCode implies knowledge of digital tools and mastery of automation processes. Extending the autonomy of women on these tools guarantees them to acquire a solid base of technical knowledge and new tools, attracting recruiters and increasing employability. 

Finally, the NoCode allows to create solid tech products and to test them in a more agile way. It thus promotes professional independence.
Freeing itself from the barriers of lack of time, tech resources and fundraising, the NoCode is a real launching pad to bring its product to life.
Not to mention then that it is a unique opportunity to drastically lower this figure: 88% of the total amount raised by French start-ups in 2021 was captured by all-male founding teams (according to the third edition of the SISTA and BCG barometer)! This statistic, which concerns entrepreneurship, also weighs in the balance of the under-representation of women in the tech sector. More women building products and therefore recruiting, means more women recruited to work in tech teams...

At Maestro, you will have understood that we are convinced that Product Management, and today NoCode, allows us to multiply the opportunities for women to establish their place in this tech universe that shapes our world.

In other words, NoCode is an obvious way to make tech more inclusive.

Why is this so important?

Because it is those who work in the tech sector who have a front row seat to build the products that shape the way we interact, consume and ultimately live!

And above all, because these professionals have a responsibility in perpetuating biases and stereotypes that are harmful to all minorities. This risk of bias is highlighted by a Maestro alumni: "I didn't realize that I was going to enter a macho world. There were a lot of women among the Maestro trainers. It was a non-issue for me. I discovered that it was even more macho than what I knew in the world of finance.

Only parity can guarantee or at least allow an inclusive design of infrastructures.

And more women working in the Tech sector means a better economy! A study by the European Commission has shown that rebalancing the percentage of women in this sector would result in a gain of 9 billion euros on the annual European GDP.

Yes, it's time to act.

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So how do we get women to take over NoCode ?

Alone or with an organization, to get started you have to immerse yourself in the tools and the discipline! For that, it is possible to see tutorials, to read on the Internet or to join a training. Most of the current experts started by testing and searching. 

The prerequisites for taking over NoCode : be curious and get your hands dirty. Then, all that's left to do is innovate, reinvent and manage again and again! 

This is the case, for example, of Gabrielle Lods, who is behind the #standwithukraine project, which was presented at Maestro. This is a website that provides a list of resources to support Ukraine with funds, medical supplies, shelter, legal advice and more.
Gabrielle has learned a lot by doing: when she has an idea, she tries to make it happen by testing. And when she gets stuck, she watches tutorials, reads forums and contacts experts. She is a good example of how to get hold of NoCode.

However, there is a limit to the encouragement to train at no-code by oneself or through side projects in which we find a bias: women are still mostly responsible for domestic and parental responsibilities and therefore have less time and mental availability. Accompanied, personalized training courses on dedicated times thus appear to be an effective and responsible solution because they allow to concentrate on the subject.

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Conclusion

As Déborah Loye, in charge of business development at Eurazeo, mentioned during the France Culture program "Femmes dans la Tech: à quand la révolution?", role models and success stories can be counterproductive because they promote qualities of power and private/professional life combinations that are oppressive patterns. So do we really want women in tech to do the same thing as men in tech? With NoCode women still have the opportunity to be at the foundation. Isn't this an opportunity to rethink what exists?

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