Huma Abidi, Senior Director - AI Software Products, Intel Corporation

“When I started in the technology industry over two decades ago, opportunities for women, especially at senior levels within organizations, were very few. While women have come a long way since, substantial gaps remain when it comes to gender parity. WEF’s Global Gender Gap Report 2020 reveals that women are massively unrepresented in emerging roles, with only 12% professionals in cloud computing and 26% professionals in data and AI.1

What has been encouraging in the last few years, however, is the coming together of the industry, academia and governments to accelerate inclusive participation of women at the workplace. Today, we’re seeing women pursue long-term careers in technology, driving innovation for the industry. There is wider recognition of the fact that true gender parity is the key to thriving economies and societies. Technology companies are more aware than ever that a diverse workforce and inclusive culture are not just critical to their evolution but are the driving forces of their growth. If we want to shape the future of technology, we must be representative of that future.

At Intel, I have been fortunate to find great managers and role models, both men and women, who have helped me, move forward throughout my career. Intel’s diversity efforts go beyond hiring and retention, to also include efforts to support supplier diversity, supporting startups and entrepreneurs, and strengthening the technical pipeline to encourage more women and underrepresented minorities to enter and succeed in technology careers. In January 2019, Intel achieved gender pay equity across our worldwide workforce. Our Women at Intel Network (WIN) has a clear vision for gender equality and overall skill development of women at various stages of their career through mentorship, technical and leadership development initiatives.

Personally, I am passionate about mentoring and helping women at work by coaching them and often connecting them to the right people. Representation matters and I’m proud and privileged to be in a position today that can inspire young women. It’s been especially encouraging to see that the industry is making every effort to start these conversations at a young age to get girls interested and involved in STEM in school. I continue to reach out to student communities and work with parents to offer advice and share my learnings, and to educate them about the myriad opportunities available to them.”