The road to success is not easy: Geetha Ramadevi's personal story as a woman in tech
July 15, 2024Gender bias persists in the workplace, but everyone can take action. Here is what I have learned in my 23 years in technology.
In my 23 years working in the IT industry, I have been fortunate enough to have very supportive coworkers and managers. I would not be the person I am now without the guidance and faith they showed me throughout my journey.
All that said, I have had my fair share of facing certain disadvantages due to my gender.
Stereotypes and gender bias against women are common in organizations all over the world. Many women deal with unfair evaluations, salary gaps, and unequal opportunities.
When I came out of my graduation and entered the IT industry, I felt that it would be a cake walk for me as I was a topper and had all the needed skills to do the job well. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
During the initial years of my career, I faced biases even though I was a skilled engineer. Many coworkers did not think highly of me simply because I was a married woman with a child. Persistent biases that depict women as less capable or assertive hamper the advancement of careers. This was further compounded by the general stigma around married women having to balance many responsibilities of a caregiver, which led to me not receiving the same opportunities as my male counterparts. My ideas were often overlooked until a male counterpart reiterated them, after which they were instantly approved. I had to work harder than the rest to prove to my managers that I could manage both work and personal responsibilities and that they could trust me with more important projects.
Another aspect of gender discrimination that I want to mention is the lack of pay parity. One main reason I experienced pay disparity was my lack of strong salary negotiation skills. I have learnt through my experience to be confident in my worth and demand what I deserve. I have observed that this is a common situation among many women. Although it is getting better, there is still ample room for improvement.
“Skill speaks louder than gender, and I have always tried to bridge the gap between the genders by encouraging women to not shy away from taking up challenging tasks.”
Geetha Ramadevi
Senior Director of Software Engineering at Elsevier
As a woman in technology and a leader in the field, I think overcoming obstacles mostly requires hard work from the employee and an encouraging direction from the top. A woman’s ability to overcome such difficulties is evidence of her belief in taking on challenges head-on and moving forward. I believe that creating an environment where diverse voices can be heard addresses these biases and tackles them headfirst.
Throughout my career, I have been striving to support women's equality so they do not face the gender biases that I and other women of my generation have faced. Skill speaks louder than gender, and I have always tried to bridge the gap between the genders by encouraging women not to shy away from challenging tasks.
Geetha Ramadevi at a team outing: “I am always open to taking on any challenge!”
My Elsevier experience
Geetha Ramadevi (second from right) and her team members in Elsevier’s Bengaluru TechHub.
When I joined Elsevier, one of the first things I noticed was the company’s refreshing culture and outlook towards empowering women. The kind of support and encouragement they provided to enable women in the workplace made me feel welcome and right at home. It was very inspiring to see women in top leadership roles. And I can say for certain, with my three years of experience here, that I truly believe Elsevier is one of the best places to work, thanks to the diverse and inclusive environment it provides.
At Elsevier, we work towards improving our gender ratio through various initiatives, including global efforts to hire a more diverse workforce. We also support women employees through various mentoring and career development programs to inspire them and give them the support and confidence to grow.