SHE’S AN IT GIRL

Words by Jamal Grootboom | Images: Getty Images + Supplied

The technology and engineering industries are often viewed as male-dominated sectors, but over the decades we have seen more women making impressive headways in a space that often excluded them.

Trailblazers such as the first software engineer Margaret Hamilton; Katherine Johnson, the American mathematician at NASA whose calculations were paramount in the first space mission; and Annie Easley who developed and implemented code that was instrumental in the creation of batteries used in hybrid cars - along with many others who paved the way for more women to take up space in industries that intended for them to be hidden figures.

So in celebration of Women’s Month, we continue to spotlight women in such industries in South Africa. We spoke to one of our own, Tasneem Hendricks, who is a Junior Product Manager for the Growth and Retention Team in the Superbalist IT department.

Born and bred in Cape Town, Tasneem describes herself as being “motivated, busy and happy”.

Speaking about being a woman in the IT department, she says; “it's actually really cool working with all these guys. My team is mostly women. There are so many more female engineers being employed, so it's like there's a whole spirit and camaraderie about working within this department and being a woman.”

Often when it comes to departments or industries that are heavily male-dominated, it can be daunting for people who represent a minority demographic in that field to step up. Sharing her thoughts on why she thinks there's a lack of representation of women in the field she says; “I think it's because, you know, in previous times, engineering has always been something men are into - like computers, software, and all of those things.

“But I feel like that is changing rapidly. There's more movement for women to come within this field, and more women realise that it's not just men that are into software, gaming, and developing.”

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Many women in society still face the threats of patriarchy, misogyny, and overall oppressive systems in various areas in both social and professional settings.

Speaking about what womanhood means to her, Tasneem expresses that “it means everything to [her]”, adding that “it's everything I have done, everything I've accomplished in my life so far, no matter whether it was a success or failure, it's being proud of myself for getting where I am.

"That's what it means to me. It's also about motivating my daughters to have the same feelings about whether they are successful or sometimes fail - they can still be proud of themselves.”

Women’s Day in South Africa is a commemoration of the women of 1956 who marched against the proposed amendments to the Urban Areas Act of 1950. Since then, the public holiday has been expanded to highlight women’s issues in a broader sense from pay inequality to gender-based violence.

Tasneem says that “women are the glue that holds it all together” and while women should be celebrated year-round, it’s not practically feasible. However, she mentions having a month dedicated to remembering everything women do is needed. “We need to appreciate the women in our lives,” she says.

Making room for more women in spaces they were previously excluded from is something that’s very important in society.

Tasneem expresses that this is important because “the world needs to stop putting women in boxes and let them be so that they can show the world that they can do anything.

“They can either they can do whatever they want to do or they can do whatever man can do. So I think the world really needs to stop putting them in boxes. They just need to let them be free.”