At the WomenTech Network, we’re fortunate to have a wonderful, global community of ambassadors who help us spread the word about our work and who helped us make the WomenTech Global Conference 2020 a success. We would like you to meet these wonderful people as well; therefore, we’re going to be introducing you to some of our most active members.

Today, get to know Syed Shahida begum:

Syed Shahida begum is a 3rd-year B.Tech student at Vignan Institute of Information Technology, originally from Visakhapatnam, India. Syed is also the co-founder of the Confiado Club, and an Ambassador for The_Originn, India's largest technical and knowledge summit. Syed describes herself as a data science and artificial intelligence enthusiast.

Right from my childhood I dreamed of a career in the tech industry. I always encourage and motivate women to find their career in the tech industry rather than in the kitchen. I keep fighting for women empowerment.

In Syed’s Own Words:

• Do women in tech need to act like men to be successful?

No. Women in tech need not act like men. Women are often admired for their grace and attitude. 

If the woman Carries the same thing in her work along with passion, she would be the best person in tech. If women start acting like men, then that would be the first drawback for her.

• How can men help make the tech sector a better place for women?

Men can help in making the tech sector, a better place for women easily. He need not fight wars for that. He just needs to encourage his daughter to learn new technologies, guide her in the right path of education.

Every woman carries a zeal to do something in her career. He need not push her to do something, all he shall do is not stop her or not create obstacles in her way. He shall support every dream of his daughter, mother, sister, and wife.

• Do you think the tech industry is only men's thing?

No. The tech industry is a genderless thing. A few years earlier there were very few women in the tech industry. But today I am happy to see there are many women CEOs, employees, entrepreneurs in the tech field. This is possible because of improvement in education, change in people's minds and so on..

Let us discuss this thing with an example. Let us take a class with an equal number of girl and boy students, with the same family support. When all of them are taught programming with the same teacher, then you would be surprised to see, there are an equal number of girl programmers as there are boy programmers.

This says there is no gender for a career in tech. Tech industry isn't a man's thing or woman's thing. It is all of a genderless career.  All it takes is passion and some work. When society realizes this thing, then definitely the tech industry would get more women in it.

• Can women have kids and a tech career?

Yes, of course women can have kids and a tech career. No matter what the gender is, if he /she has the passion to do something, there is nothing in the world that can make them feel as a barrier. It is we who build barriers for our dreams. Having kids is a natural phenomenon or a general choice and women need not think this is the end of their tech career.

Many women think having kids is the end of their career. This is nothing more than a myth. The fact is that women in tech with kids is the first step towards success. Just imagine, your mom is the CEO of a company, how it feels? Now you imagine, your dad is CEO of a company, that is a quite normal feel.

The children gain motivation from their mother. Her son and daughter would also start dreaming for a career in tech, and she would be there to guide them on the right path. Now ultimately, that woman is the reason for the success of her kids. Having kids is not the end of her career, it is the start of her and her children's career. When women realize this thing, the tech industry will have an equal number of men and women.