#WomenWithTech: Inspiring voices in a digital world

March 8, 2024

Today is like many other days. We get up, get dressed, heat up the coffee... It seems like an ordinary day, but deep down there really lies a silent essence that changes everything. A day to stop and think. To celebrate meetings in a different way, to look into each other's eyes and remind ourselves that behind every coworker, boss, director, manager... there is a mother, niece, sister or granddaughter. We dedicate today's post to that half of the population that deserves and wants to raise their voice. Today we are celebrating Women's Day.

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Women have been present in the technological field since the very beginning, but their participation, at times, has been minimized or overlooked. We want to talk about women with talent, passion and, why not, technology. At Telefónica Tech, we believe that gender diversity is not only a matter of equity, but also a crucial driver of innovation. Women bring a unique perspective that enriches the creative process and leads to more complete solutions by offering a varied prism of perspectives.

Although we are making progress, gender discrimination in some respects such as the famous glass ceiling or unconscious biases continue to hinder the advancement of women in technology, but we are determined to overcome these obstacles together.

#WomenWithTech: an event for “more of a team”

On the eve of this anniversary, we held a very special meeting in different places where Telefónica Tech is present. Men and women from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Spain, United Kingdom, and Ireland gathered to listen to the experience of some of our colleagues. Women like Ana, Paula, Elena, Beatriz or Pilar, whose motivation to enter the world of technology was the result of an inspiration, a reference or simply let themselves go where intuition and effort guided them. All of them are a sample of our #WomenWithTech movement, in which any woman working in technology, regardless of department, field or category, we want her to be represented and her voice to be shared.

María Jesús Almazor at WomenWithTech, 2024.

Regarding the meeting in Spain, our COO for Brazil, Hispam, USA and Spain, María Jesús Almazor, gave a warm welcome to the attendees. Happy to celebrate this global initiative for the first time, she stressed that “diversity is not just about gender, but also about ways of thinking”, and that giving us these moments to get to know each other better, share interests and hopes, contributes to creating a more diverse company and, with it, “a more diverse team”.

The value of equity in a life story

Our colleague Pilar Cantarero, Program Manager IA & Big Data Platforms, studied Telecommunications after watching the movie Contact (Robert Zemeckis, 1997).

She shared with the audience the story of her own life. She does not hesitate to admit that initially her mother wanted to have a son, instead of a daughter, to prevent her from facing obstacles and suffering as she had had because she was a woman. She considers her mother to be a great example for her to follow, as a woman fighter who got ahead despite the adversities she had to face: “My mother, like Grace Hopper, who hacked the status-quo of her time, challenged what she had around her and got ahead. She has been a great inspiration to me”.

Pilar Cantarero at WomenWithTech, 2024.

She also tells us about the importance of equity, which goes beyond equality, and should contribute to each person with their circumstances and needs. “So that they don't have it so hard, this is my small tribute to those who came before us. Without them we would not be here,” she concludes.

The road is not always easy

Beatriz de Oñate, Manager of International Business Development and New Markets for the USA, discovered science when she was eleven years old after watching a documentary on astronomy. A few years later, she began a career in physics and during these decades she has always tried to combine her great passions: mathematics, astronomy, music and reading about science.

Beatriz de Oñate at WomenWithTech, 2024.

She shares Leonardo Da Vinci's vision that “the most useful science is that which has the most communicable fruit”. She therefore seeks to share her experience and knowledge with others. However, the path is not always straight and, therefore, she encouraged the attendees to collaborate among peers, not to set limits for themselves.

Saying goodbye to the imposter syndrome

“I wasn't sure why I liked many things, but I was very aware of what I didn't like”, says our Asturian colleague Paula Valles, IA Sales, and Big Data consultant. She tells us about her key pieces along the way, starting with her references and, like Pilar, she pays tribute to her mother as a great inspirational figure. She also stresses the importance of proactivity, of having it internalized and having it in your veins: “I believe that proactivity is a key aspect that characterizes many of us”.

Paula Valles at WomenWithTech, 2024.

Not to mention the dreaded impostor syndrome that, at least in her case, is a daily challenge. As advice to the attendees and to herself every day, Paula shares that to gain confidence we must not forget that “no one knows better than ourselves about our work. As engineer, physician and former astronaut Mae Jemison says, never feel limited by the imagination of others”.

Today's Agile women 3.0

We also had the opportunity to learn about agile from Ana Flores, Senior Manager for Business Support and Processes at GSL IoT. Ana has spent many years dedicating her working hours to managing teams and agile methodology is for her an inseparable ally: “The key point of agile is to deliver frequently and bring value to the business, building in an iterative and incremental way”.

It is good practice to check if the progress of the work is adequate, while repeatedly in the workplace we wait to have the perfect deliverable, ready to the end point. That is agile.

Ana Flores at WomenWithTech, 2024.

And women become agile women 3.0 when we seek and become leaders, both with greater visibility and “in the shadows” supporting others: “We women, as leaders, show more empathy when managing our teams. We lead them wrapped in cotton wool, with authority, but also with gentleness”.

Letting yourself go on the way

Last but not least, we had the pleasure of having Elena Gil, AI and Big Data business director. “I arrived at Telefónica by chance, but there is something about this company that traps you and I have been with here for 24 years, where I continue to learn every day”, confesses Elena.

Elena Gil at WomenWithTech, 2024.

With a very extensive experience working in Spain, Brazil and the UK, different areas and business segments, our speaker considers that her career is an example that “technology comes from many sides, including late vocations”. She emphasized the figure of mixed profiles, and the possibility of applying technology from other angles. She has felt how she has been able to move within her career.

She reminds us that time flies, and that it is important to be prepared for our next professional phase, for “the important thing is to know where to go, but, above all, where you don't want to go”.

She also encourages us to enjoy the achievements after hard work, to give ourselves that time afterwards, and to build and maintain a network of supporters, such as #WomenWithTech. In the case of technology, and it affects the way we perceive women, there are many biases that we cannot avoid when building new products, so “we must be aware of these biases and try to mitigate them. It is not easy for biases to be corrected,” she points out.

Elena Gil's tips at the #WomenWithTech event

And that is how we closed a very special evening in which we put faces and voices, where we gave each other time to listen to our experiences, hopes and life stories. Telefónica Tech along with colleagues from other countries where united by the same motivation: to be the best team, diverse and full of talent.

The future of women is today

Women are not only the future of technology, but also the present. Our voice, vision and passion are essential to drive progress and innovation in the digital world. Let's all acknowledge the importance of equity, challenge stereotypes, pave paths by building support networks, and work to create a future where all women can thrive and lead in technology. Together, we can build a brighter and more equitable tomorrow for all.