It’s 2022, and yet, I and many others who are advocates for diversity and inclusion (D&I), particularly in STEM, still have to push for this movement.

Despite visible efforts to make progress on D&I, we still haven’t moved the needle. According to a 2021 report on diversity in the United States tech industry, “68% of businesses are aware of a continuing lack of diversity in their tech teams. Of those, 46% are actively trying to address the issue.”

But even surveys on D&I in the tech industry don’t account for all under-represented groups. Just take a look at Dice’s 2021 Equality in Tech report, where they surveyed technologists on pressing issues, such as compensation and burnout. The Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) community wasn’t acknowledged. However, other underserved groups were.

This is a serious issue that by no means only applies to Dice. In fact, look at the diversity reports of most major tech companies in the U.S., and you won’t find a MENA category for their workforce statistics.

Read the full article about women in tech by Sepideh Nasiri at Forbes.