For decades, the tech industry has been dominated by male figures like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and others. The metaphorical ladder of success can seem like a long, steep climb for women in tech.
Below, we will examine a number of tech awards that aim to shine the spotlight on girls who STEM.
Have you received a tech industry award, or do you hope to do so in the future? You will find that some of the awards below will be accepting nominations in the coming months. Do not neglect to include your awards on your resume, especially if you are a female in a male-dominated industry. Use that momentum to drive the next step in your career.
Awards for Women in Tech
Did you know? The first computer programmer was a woman. As depicted in the film Hidden Figures, women worked behind the scenes to make early space technology a success. Other women have made great strides in the tech industry, such as by creating programming languages.
But all too often, women feel that their contributions to the tech industry are overlooked - or even that their male supervisors or coworkers get the credit. The following awards aim to change that by recognizing women-and only women-in tech.
Women in Tech Awards
The Women in Tech Awards is a global virtual ceremony designed to "honor the most accomplished women in tech and allies... the people and companies that recognize the power of diversity, and pave the way for a more inclusive tech world."
Women in Tech is currently accepting nominations and sponsors for 2023. Past winners include Edwige Robinson, Senior Vice President of T-Mobile in the Leader of the Year category; Soo Yun Kim, Mobile UX Design Lead at Google in the Mentor of the Year category; and Vidya Srinivasan, Product Manager at Meta/Facebook in the Rising Star Product & Engineering category.
Women Leading Tech Awards
The Women Leading Tech Awards is "an initiative created to support gender parity and representation across the tech industry." Award categories include advocacy, data science, delivery, design, education and research, engineering, entrepreneur/founder, executive leader, mentor, sales, and many more.
This year's awards ceremony took place in March 2023, honoring up-and-coming professionals like 29-year-old Andie Potter, who spearheaded an ad tech campaign that helped stabilize Virgin Australia during an industry crisis.
Be on the lookout for the nomination window for 2024 to open later this year.
Women in Tech Global Awards
In this award, hosted by Sheika Mozah bint Marwan Al Maktoum of Dubai, 280 finalists will be chosen from more than 3,000 applicants from 150 countries. Eight awards will be given. Categories include Aspiring Teen Award, ID&E Disruptors Award by AWS, Best Ally Award. Most Impactful Initiative Award, Woman in Web3 Award, Start-Up Award, Global Leadership Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Women in Tech Global Awards ceremony will take place in Dubai in November 2023. Regional awards will also inspire women in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and elsewhere.
Women in IT Summit & Awards Series
The Women in IT Awards honors the fact that "diverse companies perform better" and "supports the tech industry in its mission to move the dial on diversity & inclusion."
Events were held in Europe and Asia in the spring and summer of 2023. Further events will take place in the United States and Canada in September and October 2023.
Women in Tech Leadership Awards
This award specific to India "will recognize the most influential women technology leaders... who have demonstrated considerable experience in leading innovation and became leaders and role models in the Indian tech industry."
Look for nominations for the March 2024 Women in Tech conference and awards to open soon.
Inc. Female Founders 200
Though not exclusive to the tech industry, Inc. magazine's Female Founders 200 honors "2023's most dynamic women entrepreneurs" - many of whom are in tech or related industries. The honorees were selected for moving "the needle in business and in their communities" and "offering aid to fellow entrepreneurs and women in a major way."
As a side note, many women in tech are also honored in Inc.'s broader categories, the Inc. 500 and Inc. 5000.
Key Takeaways
Women have long played a major role in the tech industry, though their accomplishments have, at times, been relegated to the shadows. But the seven awards and lists mentioned above are seeking to change that and proving that change has already happened.
If you're a female in tech, why not click through some of the awards recipients, learning their stories? Their struggles and successes have paved the way for other women-including you-to do amazing things in tech.
Set your sights high by bookmarking the application pages and signing up for the women in tech awards that you qualify for.
