The Bedrock of Women’s Success in Challenging Work Environments

Effective leaders sometimes convey a sense of effortlessness, even in challenging industries, where they are responsible for the safety of their teams under what are often extreme and unpredictable conditions. Such a high degree of composure comes from a combination of ability, experience and confidence. Behind it is inevitably a story that is anything but effortless — especially for women.

Hard work and risk are universal factors in fields such as industrial manufacturing, natural resources and public safety. But women operating in these areas face additional challenges. They include stereotypes of physical limitations, harassment, and lack of pay parity to name just a few. Yet women continue to prove their ability to thrive in the diverse industries, and, as they do, they inspire more to follow.

Getac would like to take the opportunity to highlight some of the factors that support the success of women in challenging sectors and in business more broadly, given that many of the same obstacles exist across industries.

At Getac, we aim to foster a diverse and inclusive workplace in the field of technology. In doing so, we hope to encourage women to pursue their goals to the fullest extent and make a real positive difference to their chosen profession.

To begin with, we recognize that equal job and promotion opportunities are essential and must be systemic. At Getac, approximately 25% of our senior managers/executives worldwide are female employees. We continue to see a growth in female hires, and our policy ensures fairness and objectivity at all times.  It also means that our recruitment is based on individual competence with due consideration to diversity and localization. We also promote local economic development to ensure everyone has the same access to career development opportunities.

Beyond our own workplace, Getac’s rugged computing devices support women in a wide range of challenging working environments. In 2021, we partnered with the World Women Foundation (WWF), a non-profit organization that supports the global advancement of women through business, technology, social entrepreneurship and entertainment. As part of the initiative, Getac supported WWF’s Global Mentorship Program, which is designed to empower female graduates to achieve their goals in business, science and technology worldwide. Getac donated its F110 fully rugged tablet to six female candidates in Afghanistan, India, Kenya, the State of Palestine and South Africa to help them work more effectively.

The six selected individuals are dedicated to bridging the urban-rural digital gap, and their work exemplifies the role women can play in advancing society in countries where it can be difficult to gain recognition as a professional or entrepreneur. Empowered by Getac’s technology, these selected candidates are able to advocate for women’s education, improve adolescent girls’ access to technology, and even to self-educate by using technology to develop a deep passion for science. 

Apart from the WWF partnership, Getac has also augmented women talent and furthered equality in sports by supporting the Mexican national sailing team, Somos México, which is led by a four-time Olympian Tania Elías. Getac’s technology adapts to the team’s specific needs, which helps the women sailors to focus and offer the best quality feedback. This allows the team to perform at the highest level and makes sailing a gender-equal job.

Rugged devices such as this help instill confidence because of their usability and dependability, but they also play a role in advancing equality. This is because when applied to challenging circumstances they help women bring their talent and abilities to the fore, and ultimately break down stereotypes.

Getac has always attached great importance to women’s equality, and is keen to highlight the sometimes extraordinary effort and contribution of women working in challenging environments. We believe this can inspire more individuals to break barriers and reach new heights. For International Women’s Day 2021, the #StrongLikeHer campaign drew attention to remarkable leaders in industries such as public safety, healthcare, IT and hardware. In 2020, we shared growth experiences of Getac employees under the banner of #SheShowsTheWay, an event designed to encourage more women interested in the tech field to pursue their goals.

This year, Getac will shine a light on the success of strong women who have led the way through difficult conditions by sharing the secrets of these women role models. Those who exemplify include inspiring women such as Harriette Wysocki, a leader in the electronic distribution space, and Siân Jones, who heads a rugged mobile systems company. Both are motivated by a strong desire to help others succeed, and advocate company culture that is open, supportive and based on clear communication. Learn more here.