To coincide with International Women’s Day (IWD) 2024 and its theme of ‘Inspire Inclusion’, we recently recorded a new SUGTalks podcast episode with our Women in SAP community Co-Chairs, Fiona Warburg and Emma Chambers.
Our Women in SAP community was established to support and empower women in a tech sector where they are significantly under-represented, especially in senior roles. The community provides a platform for women and allies to connect, share experiences and build relationships, with the aim of empowering engagement with their peers and the wider organisations they work in. We want to help women build confidence to tackle barriers to their development, grasp opportunities and ultimately increase female representation across the sector. As a women-led group, we aim to amplify women’s voices, and ensure that women in technology are visible to one another. In an industry where female representation is still low, it is vital for women to be able to see each other succeeding.
In our latest episode of SUGTalks, Fiona and Emma highlight some of the Women in SAP community’s recent activities in the last few months. This includes providing mentoring sessions, leading panel discussions in partnership with other Women in Tech groups, driving our Young Talent Initiative aimed at encouraging women to consider a career in ERP, and hosting in-person community meetings and workshops. We also had an in-depth discussion about allyship, and what this looks like in our male-dominated industry.
Privilege is invisible to those who have it
Good allyship starts with recognising privilege. Simply put, privilege is the unearned advantages we hold due to our individual identities. It is easy to overlook the privileges you have when you have become used to them. So for our male peers, allyship means using their privilege to support female colleagues by seeking to improve the situation for those who don’t have the same advantages.
It’s also important to recognise that being an ally is not a one-off action or a tick-box exercise. Allyship is a continuous, intentional practice that everyone has to show up for every day. Emma Chambers, co-chair of the Women in SAP community describes allyship as, “recognising when [others are marginalised] and then being able to create space for [them] to grow.”
The Women in SAP community is planning a dedicated workshop on allyship aimed at opening a conversation with male allies about how they can support their female colleagues. This is vital because Chambers continues, “… [at events] women mostly gravitate towards the Women in SAP sessions. We want to do a session focused on male allies so they can come and explore their own biases, and think about how they can contribute and support women in the workplace.”
While many organisations are starting to address the topic, it’s an evolving conversation. Businesses must consider what success looks like for them – but the first step is building a more inclusive environment.
The importance of inclusive leadership
An inclusive environment must come from the very top. Firstly, business leaders must look closely at who their organisation has historically excluded, and how. This involves unpicking exclusive language and behaviours that pervade the workplace and can also crop up at events.
Inclusive leadership can take many forms, including mentorship. Chambers adds, “… [it is important to] celebrate mentorship, and have people who have been mentors and mentees talk about their experiences and the impact it's had on their career.”
Positive role models who are champions of change are also important. Fiona Warburg, Women in SAP community co-chair, characterises our approach to inclusion, “Come in with an open mind. Your experience is what matters to us. And the wider the experience we can include, the more we learn and the more we can give back to our members.”
To listen to the conversation in full, please visit our SUGTalks podcast page or YouTube channel.
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