The main challenge for women trying to succeed in male-dominated environments is聽to believe in themselves, according to a senior figure in the technology industry.
Maja Nedic is聽head of engineering at Rentalcars.com, which claims to be the biggest聽car rental site in the world and聽recently rebranded as BookingGo.
Speaking to 老九品茶Cloud ahead of International Women’s Day聽Nedic, who was born in Serbia before moving to the UK in 2000, said:聽鈥淥nce you recognise that belief聽 you can trust in it and then the rest is not that hard, whether you鈥檙e female or male.
鈥淚鈥檓 quite competitive and I started to believe in my abilities from an early age and that鈥檚 how I started to drive myself 鈥� it still is.
鈥淚f I look through my career I鈥檝e always been trying to do better and I鈥檓 very goal-driven.鈥�
This is where women usually struggle, believes Nedic. She says having more men in tech can聽often聽create a聽more聽vocal, dominating environment that puts women off.
鈥淎s long as you believe in what you鈥檙e saying and stand by it that鈥檚 how to build a presence in that environment 鈥� that鈥檚 how I鈥檓 doing it,鈥� she said.
鈥淚 always try to reflect a lot and analyse myself and my actions and try to do better. Even when I do something well I always think 鈥榳as that the best from me? what can I learn? How do I do better?鈥�
鈥淭hen even if I did make mistakes, as long as I learn, that鈥檚 the most important thing.
鈥淩ecognise you鈥檙e human and can make mistakes but know how to pick yourself up and move forward.鈥�
Nedic says things are changing for the better when it comes to employing more women and creating an inclusive environment but there is more to be done.
鈥淐ompanies should recognise the problem and the industry should do something about it,鈥� she said.
鈥淥ne of the things we are looking at at BookingGo,聽and others should too, is standardising hiring practices and ensuring they鈥檙e not biased, as job specifications are usually more attractive to males.
鈥淐ompanies should also look at good maternity benefits, return to work programmes and the work-life balance for women so they don鈥檛 feel the need to choose between family or a successful career.
鈥淭hat’s another reason why women stay behind聽– they have the pressures of starting and raising families as well as a career. They鈥檙e usually told it鈥檚 one or the other rather than 鈥榶es, you can do both鈥�, and they need that support from businesses.鈥�
Nedic also believes that instilling a passion for tech in girls at an early age and making them aware of opportunities is key.
鈥淏y the time girls have to choose subjects it鈥檚 almost too late because they鈥檙e out of step with boys who are already very into tech,鈥� she said.
鈥淢y son is 11 and we鈥檝e already gotten him into programming and did the same with my oldest when he was about nine.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have girls but I would鈥檝e done the same with them and I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 necessarily the case from families or in education.
鈥淕irls end up being behind so across the board in the UK and wider we need to be encouraging聽them into these fields because they aren鈥檛 being instructed in STEM.鈥�