10 Girls in a class of 72.

When I first entered my class for the first time, I was shocked to see the actual difference in the ratio in a Computer Science class.

Now it’s my 3rd year in college, but when I look back and compare, things have changed.

Really?

Not the ratio indeed, but the opportunities and the platforms that have acknowledged the place and importance of “Women in Tech”

In my first year, it was pretty dreadful for me to participate in a hackathon or attend a techfest, because I did not have the guts to ask any senior for reference.

I never knew the power of “LinkedIn” or just creating a brand because practically there was no one to guide.

Which platform to hunt for internships, which skills to refine, how to network, where to search for women scholarships...all these questions remained unanswered initially.

And even if I asked for help, my classmates turned me down because maybe I lacked that typical coding competence.

My perspective changed in my 2nd year when I somehow got an internship opportunity as a remote technical writer.

I wanted to participate in “Hackathons” too but still lacked a genuine roadmap on how things worked.

My internships gave me confidence, I wasn’t incapable, I just wasn’t around the right people who refused to acknowledge the presence and the values a “Woman in Tech” brings.

Yes, it’s right.

You may not be an extremely competitive coder, but being a woman you have certain skills that change the team dynamics, enhance creativity, and increase the overall potential of your workplace.

I just participated in debates and stuff till my 3rd year, but for the first time, I got the chance to make an actual team for the “Smart India Hackathon” and that was the best decision of my college life!

My team had 2 girls and the boys gave us a chance to use and hone our skills to add on to the team.

Be it presentation skills or code debugging, for the first time I thought “I can do it too!”

We got shortlisted in the final teams from the college and that was the beginning of an evolution.

Since then, I have participated in various hackathons, attended meet-ups, gained insights on the Tech trends, polished my coding skills, created a wholesome network on LinkedIn...and grew as a "Woman In Tech"

My team was the 2nd runner-up in HackwithMAIT, finalist in the Geeks for Geeks hackathon, 5th in Hackhazards (IPU's Largest Hackathon), and many more…

It wasn’t just about the hackathons in general, but I realized women may not lack the opportunities sometimes, but they do lack the right people and platform where they are valued for the skills they own.

I have faced inequality and a lack of gender diversity at times, but when I got the chance to stand back, it really made the difference!!!

Also, a certain amount of exposure and healthy networking gives a certain direction that can help brush skills that the industry demands.