June 23rd is a special entry in the geek calendar, marking International Women in Engineering Day. Though we should always celebrate the achievements of our peers and teams year-round,  this is our chance to cast light not just on the contribution of women to software development in general, but also their positive impact at Secure Code Warrior. We are very fortunate to have near-parity between males and females in our organization, and within that, some talented women in our engineering team.

It's certainly not lost on me that STEM careers are notoriously male-dominated, and for female developers, I know first-hand that some tech environments can be challenging and unfairly stacked against women, mainly through unconscious bias. It's not good enough, and it was important for me to ensure everyone is treated fairly, that diversity is championed, and that teams felt enriched by different opinions, experiences, and ways of thinking. After all, no company should exist in an echo chamber and expect to thrive. It is the amplification of the voices least heard that can lead to incredible things.

This week, I wanted to highlight the contributions of women that bring so much to our engineering focus, and continually lead by example with their truly awesome work. Read on to meet but a few of our tech superstars:

Julia Semeniuk, Scrum Master

What do you like about the software development process?
I like the results. I think its one very important part of the business: at the end of the day software development brings all ideas, feedback, and designs together and makes it available for other parts of the business and for our customers.

What challenges do you face in your role?
I think the biggest challenge is communication and alignment. We need to make sure we are working on the most important piece at any given time. Thats why working with Product, Support and other teams is so important to us.

What do you like most about your role?
I love spirit and teamwork. Every bit of work we do is accomplished because of synchronized work and collaboration. And to see the progression of our work and the growth of people makes me feel happy every day.

What initiatives do you take to support women in your team?
We are lucky to be treated equally in Secure Code Warrior. I dont think we have initiatives directed to women exclusively, we support and respect each other irrespective of sex and gender. In saying that, company initiatives such as parental leave and flexible working arrangements do make a huge difference to all of us.

Noemi Alvarez, Senior Software Developer

Role at Secure Code Warrior:
Senior Software Engineer

Favorite languages/frameworks:
Typescript /Javascript - Angular/Node because I have the most experience with these and I feel more comfortable.

Least favorite languages/frameworks:
Java / PHP because I didnt have the opportunity to work with these ones.

How did you get into software development?:
I did research on trending careers and IT was one of these and my favorite math teacher said I would be a great engineer.

What challenges do you face in your role?:
Keeping up to date with new technologies and trends.

What do you like most about your role?:
In general, to build/create something and see people using it. At SCW, to have the challenge to build it as secure as I can.

Laura Verheyde, Senior Software Engineer

Role at Secure Code Warrior:
Developer in the ACE team. Basically I help out with providing the platform with new challenges.

Favorite languages/frameworks:
C#, .NET.

Least favorite languages/frameworks:
Probably PHP, but thats mainly because of a lack of experience with it.

How did you get into software development?:
Years ago, my best friends were all studying IT, so that sparked my interest.

What challenges do you face in your role?:
Navigating and understanding someone elses code in order to add my own, can be a pretty demanding task. Also, the idea that there is still so much to learn in the area of IT can be intimidating at times, but also very rewarding once youve overcome a certain challenge.

What do you like most about your role?:
Part of my role has me delving through code on a syntactic level, something I find really interesting. Next to that, seeing the applications that Ive contributed to, producing results and creating new content for the SCW platform gives a very satisfactory feeling.

Do you have any advice for young women who are contemplating a similar career?:
Yes, dont be intimidated by the idea of having to work in a male-dominated workplace. My initial concern ebbed away pretty fast during my first days, as I was introduced to the nicest and most welcoming colleagues one could hope for. Im pretty sure thats the case in most workplaces.

Josh Graham, our VP of Technology, is developing a mentorship program to encourage more women into our engineering cohort. It's our goal to give them the opportunities and pathways to grow their career, while being guided by role models that can show them what is possible in software development, cybersecurity and tech. It is vital for young women to see someone they can relate to in an aspirational role, really hitting home that their dreams not only matter, but are within reach.

As an industry, and as a business, we still have work to do when it comes to achieving true equality for women in technology careers. We are working hard to encourage more women into our open roles; their contributions will only propel us forward and help us lead by example. The time is now to acknowledge biases, privilege, and glass ceilings, while making efforts to change the status quo in earnest.

We strive to create a safe, supportive environment for geeks of all backgrounds. We stand behind women in tech, offering work flexibility and generous parental/family policies in a global environment. Want to join us? Keep our Careers page and LinkedIn bookmarked for your next opportunity - we always have engineering roles for keen technologists looking to thrive in a workplace where you can come as you are.