Did you know March is Women’s History Month? Celebrated globally and bolstered by International Womens’ Day on March 8, March marks both the beginning of spring and a commemoration of women’s contributions to history. Although our Canadian counterparts technically celebrate the milestone in October (coinciding with Person’s Day, the date when Canadian women were granted the right to vote), when it comes to the rest of the world, March takes the women’s history crown.

This month at Wisedocs we not only kicked off our employee engagement commitee with initiatives that support women in tech, we also made time to chat with some of the women on our team. From learning new skills and getting out of your comfort zone to being the only women in the room, the women of Wisedocs brought forward their diverse set of perspectives and the most important lessons they’ve learned along the way. 

Here’s what we got up this March!

Employee Engagement Committee

March saw us kick off our new Employee Engagement Commitee here at Wisedocs. The group’s goal is to create a safe space for employees to share new ideas or initiatives that foster a positive company culture. Participation in the group is voluntary, and group members are encouraged to bring up topics important to them in life and in work as well as any suggestions for how to add value to the company or improve employee experience as a whole. 

For the group’s inaugural month at Wisedocs, employees came together to put a focus on Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day. The group this month was made up of Delina Fessahatzion, Samiha Abedin, Marie Ubungen and Amy Mingopoulos, who took the lead on some exciting initiatives, including:
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Girls who Code

Fitting with the theme of March, Wisedocs chose to donate to Girls who Code—a non-profit organization seeking to close the gender gap in technology. The organization is close to our hearts not only because of Wisedocs’ position within the tech space, but also because we resonate with their goal of uplifting young women and girls. By encouraging more women to get involved in the tech industry, we can help break down barriers for future generations. 

Collision Conference

This month, Wisedocs also offered women in the organization the chance to attend Collision Conference using the conference’s designated tickets for women in tech. Wisedocs has had 10 women express interest in attending so far, and we look forward to seeing members of our team at the conference this June. 

Canada Learning Code

The engagement group has also been busy promoting Canada Learning Code, an organization offering courses on digital skills and computer science, to members of the Wisedocs team. Canada Learning Code offers pay-what-you-can courses and are an accessible way for our team to further their knowledge, skills, and confidence in the field of coding and technology. 

Women’s History Month

Finally, the employee engagement group has been busy sharing inspirational quotes each week. Whether it’s Maya Angelou or Ruth Bader Ginsberg, we’ve enjoyed seeing reminders of strong female voices to empower the women on the Wisedocs team.

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The Women of Wisedocs: Advice from our Team

Women’s History Month also brought us an opportunity to chat with some of the strong women on the Wisedocs team. The women of Wisedocs shared advice on topics like career growth, women in tech, and trying something new. Here are our favorite responses from the Q&A:

Learning and Career

When asked what she wishes she’d known at the beginning of her career, Samantha Lloyd, Wisedocs marketing team, and the Managing Director at Skeleton Krew Agency, points to the ability to learn.

“There will be continual learning,” she says. “You’re not done with education once you graduate. If you want career growth in a field you enjoy, you will need to continue to advance your learning and understanding of the field as well as various industries you may be a part of. Being in marketing allows for a deep dive on the target market and industry you work in, so I've been fortunate to get to explore topics from domain names to AI, no code, fintech, and claims, plus marketing B2B software in brand new startups all the way to public companies. It’s never too late to start learning but it always helps to develop an understanding and an appreciation for how to learn early on.”

As for what this learning looks like in the Wisedocs office, Marquessa MacKenzie, Senior Designer in Sales & Marketing, says the company’s focus on collaboration and inclusivity plays a big role.

“Women are collaborators, thinkers, and planners,” she says. “We excel at learning individual strengths and how to position those strengths to accomplish the collective goal. Working with so many amazing women at Wisedocs has given me the confidence to fully step into my power as a designer and problem solver. My team supports collaborative dialogue and challenges each other with unique perspectives to create inclusive experiences. I am proud to work for a company that promotes personal development and collective engagement through diverse hiring practices.”

Women in tech

“I do notice a lack of women in tech,” says Jenna Earnshaw, Wisedocs’ Head of Revenue. “All of the data proves it: less than 30% of the tech workforce are women. We need to make tech more accessible and help educate women on the opportunities that exist within this amazing industry!”

So what does it take to make change?

“More advocacy, more accessibility, and lower barriers to entry across the board,” Jenna adds. “On a personal level, I've worked in many organizations where I have often been the only woman in the room. I’m so proud and humbled to work with so many incredible female partners, team members and customers. Personally, I intentionally seek out to hire and promote great women to help provide them with the opportunities to develop their careers. I grew up with a mum who was a full time entrepreneur in the 80s/90s while raising 3 kids. She truly taught me the importance of breaking the norm and stereotype and showing me there’s no such thing as a glass ceiling, but it wasn’t easy for her. Often, because of her gender she was shut down and not taken seriously, especially 30+ years ago. She inspires me to want to do more, and to elevate every ambitious, hard working woman I meet along the way.”

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Leaving your comfort zone

As for women looking to break into the tech field, Medical Documentation Specialist Marie Ubungen says her advice is to “try and get out of your comfort zone.”

“Really put yourself out there,” she insists. “It can be difficult at first, but you won’t regret it. The more you present yourself in the space, the more you can fuel the drive for other women to join and promote inclusivity. This field needs a diverse community to drive the future of technology! 

I also believe it’s important to have faith in yourself and your talents: I used to host several networking events in university and I’ve spoken with many women that experience Imposter Syndrome because they tend to be the minority in the work or school space. In my experience, having a female mentor helped me guide through my own experience with Imposter Syndrome and helped paved the way for me to speak comfortably during project meetings and events. Ask questions if you need to and put your ideas out there - your contributions are important too!”

The space for change

What’s in store for the future? According to Wisedocs’ DevOps Engineering Associate Shannon Afghan, a strong ally and advocate for women in the tech space, more attention on women’s accomplishments and leadership is necessary if we want to start making change.

“I believe more spotlight should be placed on the accomplishments and leadership displayed by women in the field of tech,” he says. “Everyone can identify the male heavyweights, the Musks, Zuckerbergs, Gates etc. since they are always in the limelight and focused on in the media, but how many can identify or name a single woman?”

“Without bringing [women’s] stories, successes and experiences forward,” he adds, “We fail to conquer the inherent biases we all have regarding this industry being a male-only club. It's time we cast the light on the many talented women we have in this field to establish female role-models other women can aspire to when taking a step into this field.”

What does women’s history month mean to you?

Women’s History Month means appreciating the history that created opportunities for myself and other women plus appreciation of the supportive women surrounding me today. Without the women involved in my education and career that ensured my continued growth and learning, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Women’s History Month is a reminder to pay it forward and support women in their careers, as well.  - Samantha Lloyd, Managing Director, Skeleton Krew Agency, and Wisedocs marketing team, alongside our in-house Marketing Associate Amy Mingopoulos

Women’s history month to me, means celebrating all the women who were relentless in breaking down the norms, just like my mum did, and believing in themselves enough to carve a future for us all. - Jenna Earnshaw, Head of Revenue 

Women’s history month means radical action and affective disruption. It means one more step toward the fight against oppressive regimes. It means one more step toward an inclusive society for all. It means dismantling a system set up to fail and promoting one created with all of humanity in mind. Women’s history month is only the beginning. Acknowledging the issue is the first step. Taking action and instigating disruption is how to effect real change. - Marquessa MacKenzie, Senior Designer in Sales & Marketing