by: Sally Jaramillo
Posted: / Updated:
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Empowering women of color across the tech community continues and here locally many are working hard to bring change.
Franisha Latrice Hayes works at KMJ Web Design a house web design company and says times are changing.
“I walk into a room where there is just me or a handful of people that look like me and that can be overwhelming sometimes,” Hayes said. “Women are starting to flee the tech industry we are rare when it comes to minority women.”
Brianda Barrett is recruiting coordinator at Taurean Consulting Group and says as technology increases in our day-to-day activities and workplace it’s important we bring diversity to the tech field.
“Statistics show that 26% of women are in the IT field, only about 3% of women who are African American and only 2% of Latino women are in the IT field,” Barrett tells 8 News Now.
No matter what stage of the professional development or what technology-related field the interest lies in experts say there are multiple opportunities for women in the valley.
“We go out to the community programs like IT works where you have individuals that may not necessarily have the opportunities that others areas may have so we go in and become mentors,” added Barrett.
Eliysheba Anderson is the research and planning manager for Global Sokal Foundation a technology-based foundation that offers technological service to programs that may not have funding to afford such things.
“We connect women who are in rural areas maybe don’t have access to technology we give them training with technology provide them cellphones and information for how to use technology,” Anderson added.
Amongst their first project Data Soko which allows women to sell their own products in their own places.
“If we feed the women we feed the entire community,” Anderson added.