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Women have long been underrepresented in the tech industry, and the world of cryptocurrencies is no different. Although web3 values innovation, transparency, and collaboration, the lack of women in engineering roles remains significant. While attending DSS and DevCon in Bangkok, I noticed a significant imbalance in gender representation among speakers and panelists.
However, the tide is starting to turn. Launched at DevCon 2022 in Bogotá, Colombia, Women in Web3 Hub returned this year with an easy-going space designed to create new connections. It provided a relaxed, drop-in environment where anyone could join the conversation, and was in perfect harmony with web3’s relaxed, community-driven nature.
My colleague Markella Ghioka and I stopped by the hub to casually discuss gender imbalance with others. This article summarizes the insights from our discussion to help young women overcome gender bias in technical roles. Sharing women’s stories in the Web3 space can provide inspiration to those considering a career in this field.
Understanding gender and its impact on career choices
At Web3 Hub, we shared the understanding that gender actually shapes career paths, especially in the world of technology. While sex refers to the biological differences between men and women, gender is a social construct that includes the roles, behaviors, and expectations that society assigns to individuals based on their gender.
Historically, social norms have defined “appropriate” behavior for women and men. For example, in the 1950s, it was unusual and often frowned upon for women to have full-time jobs. Women were expected to focus on the home and children, while men were considered the main breadwinners.
Fortunately, society has evolved since then and it is now common to encounter doctors, teachers, and police officers of both genders. However, I am still surprised when I meet women working as engineers and software developers.
Women are underrepresented in tech, not because they lack talent or interest. Rather, it depends on how society views and shapes women’s potential roles. When women are rarely seen in these fields, young girls may feel like they don’t belong and turn away before they even begin. For example, when Forex Suggest analyzed the top 50 founders of crypto companies, only 6% were female CEOs.
Women make up just 34% of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Therefore, encouraging women to pursue education and careers in STEM fields will increase talent retention and reduce the gender gap in technology.
For example, Markella had the opportunity to become a security engineer after majoring in computer science in college.
Markella Ghioka: Women of web3
Markella Gioka holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer science from the University of Athens. After several internships at Nokia, Meta, and Google, he joined Dedaub and works as a security engineer, investigating similarities and connections in the complexity of smart contract vulnerabilities.
In 2024, Markella took to the stage at the De.Fi Security Summit in Bangkok and gave a talk titled “From Smart Contracts to Embeds: Using Off-the-Shelf LLMs for Fun and Profit.” Her research demonstrates how large-scale language models (LLMs) can enhance smart contract analysis and provide innovative tools to improve security.
In an informal conversation at the hub, Markella opened up about her experiences as a woman in tech and shared a personal story that really resonated with me. Below are some of the conversations that took place during the Q&A series.
— What challenges did you face as the only woman at Dedaub and one of the few women at web3?
“Personally, I wouldn’t say I’ve faced any obvious challenges in building a career in Dedaub or in software engineering in general, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Sometimes people think you’re not. I’ve been told that people might think you work in marketing or something.”
“Also, if you’re the only woman in the room, people sometimes say the wrong thing or act overly cautious not to do the wrong thing. It can be a little awkward, but it’s It’s obviously coming from a good place. If you’re a woman in computer science, you’re probably used to being in the minority early on.”
“It’s a funny story. One time I was the only woman in my sophomore class, including the professor.”
— How has your presence as a woman influenced Dedove’s work culture?
“I focus on creating a dedobed space where teamwork, open communication, and honest feedback naturally occur. I don’t think my role is defined by being a woman. However, I believe that different perspectives will help us become stronger as a team, and I am happy to bring my role to the table.”
— Given the underrepresentation of women in the tech industry, were there any people who inspired you to pursue a career in technology and how did they influence you?
“Absolutely! There are many women who have shaped society but never received the recognition they deserve. Take Christine de Pizan, for example. She supported herself by writing in the Middle Ages. She was one of the first European women to break the mold and represent female intelligence at a time when most people were not listening to it.
“Many scholars say Ada Lovelace was the world’s first computer programmer. Working on analytical engines in the 1800s, she envisioned computers being able to do more than just calculations.”
“We all debug software, but many people are unaware that the term was coined by a woman who discovered a moth that caused computer malfunctions, specifically Grace Hopper. You may be ignoring it.”
“I believe that Web3 and technology will soon achieve gender balance. My generation recognizes the gap, but we will not be limited by it.”
— What advice would you give to women who want to enter the Web3 field despite its “male dominance”?
“I don’t think the term ‘male-dominated’ really fits the Web3 community. It’s mostly men, but I’ve never seen anyone not pay attention to an idea just because a woman proposed it. , we are very young internationally, the average age is under 30, and we are open to new ideas.Dedaub and web3 in general feel like home to me. My suggestion to anyone who wants to make an impact is to be fearless, study hard, and think outside the box.”
conclusion
Although web3 strives for decentralization and inclusivity, women are still noticeably absent from technology-related conversations. This gap is influenced by a variety of societal factors, including long-standing biases, gender stereotypes, and a lack of visible female role models in the tech industry.
Still, initiatives like the Women in Web3 Hub show that people are becoming more aware of these issues and are actively working to make Web3 more inclusive. These efforts will help launch a new generation of women leaders at web3 by giving women a place to connect, share their stories, and support each other.
