High-stakes digital world: A Women's Day reflection on technology, resilience, and influence

Software development is often described as innovation at the speed of life. Code moves from idea to production in minutes, and digital services now sit at the center of everyday human activity. But behind this pace lies something far more consequential: responsibility. Every platform, pipeline, and release now supports critical systems such as healthcare networks, banking infrastructure, eCommerce platforms, airport operations, and government services. When software falters, disruption is not limited to technical teams - it affects citizens, businesses, and economies in real time.

The global CrowdStrike outage illustrated this vividly. Airlines grounded flights, banks experienced service interruptions, hospitals faced operational delays, and major enterprises worldwide struggled to maintain continuity. A single software failure cascaded across industries, demonstrating how deeply software reliability is tied to modern society.

In this environment, technology leadership is not defined during periods of steady growth, but during instability. Global outages, cybersecurity threats, regulatory pressure, and revenue exposure test the resilience of teams and systems alike. During these moments, leadership becomes deeply human. The tone of a leader often becomes the temperature of the room - determining whether teams respond with panic or with focus and clarity. Increasingly, women leaders across the technology ecosystem are helping shape this culture of steady, resilient leadership.

Building resilience before it is needed

As a result, modern software organisations operate in a permanent state of acceleration and - unfortunately - crisis. With an increasingly sophisticated threat landscape and regulatory requirements growing daily, companies need to establish agile, high-performance, integrated infrastructure, managed by resilient, accountable leadership. The quality of decision making under pressure depends on the diversity of perspectives shaping them. Strong leadership teams do not think alike; they challenge, refine, and strengthen outcomes. This is why diversity is so important: to not only ensure the current reliability of our technology infrastructure but also to shape future innovations. 

India's technology ecosystem reflects meaningful progress in gender participation. According to NASSCOM,women now constitute around 34 % of the IT-BPM workforce in India. Globally, momentum is visible at the leadership level as well. Grant Thornton's Women in Business 2025 report, women now hold around 33.5 % of senior management positions worldwide, an increase from the previous year - evidence that representation is translating into influence. 

But representation alone is no longer the headline. The role of women in technology has moved beyond participation metrics. The conversation has shifted from counting seats at the table to measuring the impact made once seated there. Across APAC's technology ecosystem, women are actively shaping product strategy, strengthening governance frameworks, driving cybersecurity priorities, and influencing revenue decisions. 

However, the next leap requires women to have a more sustained boardroom presence and structural influence. True equity is achieved not only when women enter leadership positions, but when they remain, grow, and shape the long-term direction of a company and community. 

Part of building that community requires active sponsorship of women advocacy and mentorship programs. Mentorship reinforced a critical lesson for me: self-advocacy is not arrogance; it is leadership. When women can articulate their contributions clearly, supported by metrics, and claim their space, they do more than advance their own careers – they redefine what leadership looks like for the next generation.

A steady path forward

International Women's Day is a moment to recognise the resilience, strength, and lasting contributions of women across generations. We honor the pioneers who broke barriers, the quiet contributors who shaped progress, and the innovators and dreamers who refused to step back. Michelle Obama once said, "There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish." I believe that deeply. Yet meaningful progress accelerates when men and women advance together. Real transformation is a team sport. When women support other women, momentum builds; and when men champion equity, change becomes a reality. 

To every young woman entering technology or even thinking about a career in technology, I have this to share with you:

• Do not shrink to fit the room.

• Do not dilute your ambition.

• Build competence relentlessly.

• Build credibility consistently.

• Build courage daily.

You do not need to be superhuman. You simply need to be confident, committed, and unflappable; steady in your vision and goals, steady in your voice, steady in your execution.

When women in technology lead with clarity and resilience, organisations grow stronger. As companies scale and embolden, entire industries evolve. And when industries evolve, societies move forward. Be part of the change. Set your mind to what you want and go get it.