If we want more women tech leaders, we must close the women’s biology gap

If you think it’s just older people who discriminate against women, you’d be wrong

Sophie Creese, Co-Founder of Motherboard and HeyFlow, argues that if we want to address the gender pay gap and gender leadership gap in tech, we need to understand that the women’s biology gap is the root cause.

Motherboard is a non-profit business charter, community, and event series that aims to boost the number of women tech leaders by encouraging businesses to be inclusive of mothers. HeyFlow is an employee insight and learning platform for female reproductive health inclusion in the workplace. Sophie Creese is Co-Founder of both and delivered a powerful keynote at yesterday’s Women and Diversity in Tech Festival.

Creese described the feelings that, six years ago, led her to walk away from a job which had provided her with financial security, meaningful friendships and constituted part of who she was.

“It was stripping me of my confidence and self-worth. I thought it was me that was the problem but now I know that I wasn’t. I was simply a mum returning from maternity leave.”

That feeling, Creese argues, is shared by many women returning from maternity leave and it is killing women’s careers.

Creese shared an anecdote about what another female entrepreneur said to her at a dinner for women leaders last year when she shared details of what Motherboard and HeyFlow campaign for.

“I would never hire women that have young children or are even likely to become mums,” the woman said. “They’re awful to manage. I only hire them after their children are out of primary school.”

There is a perception common among younger people that this kind of view is generational. It’s rarely expressed and negatively viewed by the majority. Not so, said Creese.

“How many men and women still think like this?” asked Creese. “And how does it feed into women’s lack of opportunities, promotion and achieving gender equality on the workplace?”

Creese went on to point out that that gender pay gap first opens significantly when women become mothers. It peaks again during the years of perimenopause, then again at menopause.

“The most common reason that women don’t reach the top,” said Creese, “isn’t lack of ability, or motivation. It’s not imposter syndrome. It’s biology.”

“We have completely missed the point in gender inclusion that women’s opportunity or lack of in the workplace won’t improve until we fix the women’s biology gap.”

Creese argues that no business has nailed true female inclusion yet, not even the ones winning all the equality plaudits. She said:

“Assumptions about women and about our reproductive biology creates slower career progression, less opportunity and lost skills.”

Waiting around for someone else to fix the problem isn’t an option.

“Change starts with us. Each of us has the power to be part of the change and to challenge these outdated beliefs. We must commit to conscious awareness and recognise biases both subtle and overt. These exist in the workplace and our own minds.

“When we hear discriminatory comments as I did don’t remain silent. Speak up. Use your voice to educate and advocate for inclusivity. “

Creese also advised against relying on policies and benefits to protect women. The experience of women in the workplace is largely down to their managers ability to understand and support and very often their own lived experiences.

Mentoring and sponsoring is also key, but Creese had more to say than the usual advice for women to seek mentors.

“We need to network above our own seniority level. It’s essential to success and if we all drop the ladder down, we help bring others up.”

“We also need to promote open discussions about reproductive health and the impact it has on women’s careers,” Creese said. “By normalising these conversations, we dismantle the stigma surrounding otherhood, menopause and other women’s health issues. Everyone deserves to understand how these experiences shape workplace dynamics.”

Creese finished her keynote with a reminder that removing barriers to women’s inclusion is about more than flexible or part-time working. In fact, women are often punished for pursuing these options.

“Put women in promotable projects and the pathways to leadership will be paved. “