Tech Is Built to F*ck Women in Tech: 7 Ways We’re Burning It Down
Queen, tech was never built for us.
If you’re a woman in tech, especially Latinas in tech, you’ve felt it. The gatekeeping, the gaslighting, the double standards. You’ve been talked over, passed up, and underpaid while watching mediocre men get fast-tracked to leadership.
And still, you show up.
But here’s what they don’t want you to know because knowing would make you dangerous.
They want you to be silent. They want you to be grateful. They want you to play by their rules.
So let’s lift the veil. Here’s what women in tech need to know and why they don’t want us to figure it out.
1. Women in Tech Are Here to Disrupt, Not Assimilate
The message has been clear:
"Fit in."
"Act like them."
"Don’t rock the boat."
Enough of that.
You weren’t meant to blend into broken systems, you are here to tear them down and build something better.
Stop trying to earn a place at their table when you could be building your own.
2. Tech Was Built on Women, And Now They’re Trying to Erase Us
Every device, every app, every "innovation" is built on the extraction of labor, land, and resources from Black, Brown, Indigenous, and global communities. And yet, when we enter the room, they act like we should be grateful to be there. They don't want you to see that tech is an empire built on colonial foundations.
Knowing this gives you power because you’re not an outsider. You are someone whose community has paid the cost for their so-called innovation.
3. The System Is Rigged. It’s Not You
If you’ve ever been passed over for a promotion, questioned in meetings, or gaslit when you call out bias, it’s not because you’re not good enough. It’s because the system is designed to block you.
Hiring algorithms, funding pipelines, and product design. They’re all steeped in biases that were programmed in from the start. You are fighting a system rigged to center white men and push everyone else to the margins.
So stop questioning your value and start questioning their system.
4. Women in Tech Who Speak Up Are Labeled “Difficult” for a Reason
A woman in tech who challenges bias? A woman who calls out racist hiring algorithms or sexist leadership structures?
That is a direct threat to their way of doing business.
So what do they do?
They label you “difficult.”
They make you feel like the problem.
They push you out while protecting their own.
Their biggest fear? That you’ll stop believing their lies, start organizing, and refuse to back down.
5. Your Neurodivergence, Your Intersectionality. Are An Advantage
Many women in tech are neurodivergent, disabled, queer, immigrants, mothers, and caretakers (to name a few)… all identities tech loves to ignore.
But those identities? That’s our edge.
We see the gaps in leadership, the flaws in AI, and the cracks in their policies because we’ve lived through them.
We don’t need to erase who we are to succeed. We need to own it louder than ever.
6. You Don’t Need to Earn a Seat, You Already Have One
One of the biggest lies tech tells us?
"If you just work hard enough, you’ll earn a place."
Earn it from who exactly?
From the same gatekeepers who have been hoarding power and keeping pay inequitable? From the same leaders who tell women in tech to get another certification, more experience, and more proof that we belong?
We don’t need their permission.
We don’t need their approval.
We are already enough.
7. You Come from a Line of Fighters and Builders
Latinas have been resisting, organizing, and innovating long before tech even knew what to call a "startup." From the Chicano Movement to feminist resistance, we’ve always built what we needed when the system denied us. Tech is just the latest battlefield, and guess what? You’re not fighting alone.
FAQs: Women in Tech
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Sis, the tech world wasn't built for us, and that's the damn truth. Gender bias and discrimination are rampant, with 57% of women in tech experiencing it firsthand. For Latinas, it's even more pronounced, as we hold only 2% of STEM jobs.
Here's how you can tackle this head-on:
Speak Up: When you encounter bias, call it out. Silence only perpetuates the problem.
Build Your Tribe: Connect with other Latinas and allies in tech. Like our community for latinas
Know Your Worth: Arm yourself with knowledge about your rights and the value you bring. Don't let anyone undermine your contributions.
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Feeling like an imposter? You're not alone. Imposter syndrome is a significant challenge for minorities in tech.
Strategies to combat imposter syndrome:
Acknowledge Your Feelings: Recognize that imposter syndrome is common, but it doesn't define you.
Celebrate Your Achievements: Keep a "wins" journal to remind yourself of your accomplishments.
Seek Mentorship: Connect with mentors who can provide guidance and affirm your capabilities.
Don’t Ever Forget: You Belong Here. You Are The Future. And They Can't Stop What’s Coming.
They don’t want you to know these truths because if you did, you’d stop apologizing and start demanding. You’d stop playing small and start organizing. You’d stop "leaning in" and start tearing down the walls that keep Latinas out.
But now you know. So what are you going to do with that truth?
You know where to find me.
Ready to shatter those ceilings? Join our community of fierce Latinas in tech and let's redefine the industry together.