Meera Harichan discusses the true potential of technology to bring together communities with a shared vision and how diversity is never a box-ticking exercise.
For CCI Global IT program manager Meera Harichan, a career in the wider technology space began with one simple desire, a wish to better understand how things actually work and how they can be improved upon.
A native of South Africa, Harichan told SiliconReoublic.com, “Fortunately, I had access to a computer at a young age, at a time when technology was still relatively new and unfamiliar to many. What fascinated me was not simply the technology itself, but the possibilities it opened up.
“I began to see technology as more than computers and code. It was a way to solve problems, challenge the way things were done, turn ideas into reality and ultimately, create meaningful change in people’s lives.”
As her professional life in tech expanded, she found she enjoyed being the person with the skills to connect people and technology, “translating complex ideas into meaningful solutions and bringing people together around a shared vision.”
She said, “Today, that intersection is where my passion lives. Technology gives us the tools, but people give those tools purpose and for me, that is where the real magic happens.”
She finds however, that more needs to be done to ensure that women are encouraged to enter tech roles and once there, that they are supported in growing their careers.
Making the numbers count
Harichan has led technology initiatives across multiple countries, launched large-scale campaigns, built operational sites and supported the resilience of the global data centres that keep organisations running.
She said, “I have grown through a combination of continuous learning, determination and the opportunities afforded to me. I recently completed my Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Information Technology and I am preparing to pursue a Master’s in Research.”
While Harichan was able to make use of the opportunities that came her way, it is important to note that the same can not always be said for women looking to forge careers in the often male-dominated technology space.
She finds, despite the growing investment in tech and AI, women crucially remain underrepresented across many technical roles.
She said, “I think we have to look beyond the numbers and ask a deeper question, “What are we doing to make women feel that they truly belong in technology? Because women have never lacked the intelligence, creativity, ambition, or courage to lead.
“What has often been missing is the opportunity to be seen, the encouragement to step forward, the visibility of women who have walked the path before them, and sometimes, simply, someone who says, ‘You belong here. Your voice matters. Your ideas matter.’”
Harichan explained, as technology continues to reshape almost every aspect of our lives, driven largely by advancements in AI, as a society we can’t afford to have one single group of people sitting at the table where all of the decisions regarding the future are made.
“We need women at that table, not simply to meet a diversity target, but because women bring different experiences, perspectives, questions, and ways of solving problems. The real work is creating environments where women can enter, grow, lead, and stay.
“We have to invest in mentorship, sponsorship, education, confidence and leadership opportunities. It means creating cultures where no one has to spend their energy proving their worth simply because of their gender, but is empowered to focus on their ideas, their potential and the impact they can make.”
She added, “When a young girl sees a woman leading, making bold decisions, and taking her place at the boardroom table, she doesn’t just see what is possible, she sees a reflection of who she could become.
“Because when you open a door for one woman and tell her, ‘You belong here’, you do more than change her life, you make the path a little wider, the journey a little easier and the possibilities a little brighter for every woman who follows. That, to me, is the real opportunity.”
Consistency is key
In a world where diverse voices make technology better, as a by product of an ecosystem that notices different problems, asks different questions and imagines different solutions, Harichan is of the opinion that “diversity cannot be a moment we celebrate once a year, it has to be a value we live, a culture we nurture, and a commitment we carry every day.”
That means moving from representation to participation and from participation to progression. It means giving women a voice not just giving them access to the room, investing in diverse talent, not just hiring and assuming that the job is done and measuring success by the progress of the women in the organisation, not simply patting yourself on the back because you have female employees.
She said, “Ask how many stay, progress, lead and ultimately help shape the organisation’s future. It means creating a culture where people are valued not simply for being present, but for what they contribute.
“Perhaps the greatest measure of success is when belonging becomes so deeply woven into the culture that no one has to question whether they belong, they simply know that they do.”
And at its core, for Harichan, it isn’t just about progression for women alone, she stated, when women have a voice in technology men, children, families, businesses and communities benefit also.
She said, “Everyone benefits when the people creating technology understand the people they are creating it for. Ultimately, the goal isn’t simply to have different people represented in technology. It’s to create technology that sees more of humanity.”
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