The statistics around women in the IT industry are cheerless at best, dismal at worst. A recent study by research firm Bayne found that 43% of women are confident in their ability to lead and rise to prominence in a company when they first join, only for this to drop to 16% by the time they’ve finished their second year. The reasons behind this are varied, but usually come down to limited opportunities, male-dominated narratives, and a culture of inequality. While these reasons can change from company to organisation to situation, women need to find their own paths through these complex quagmires to grab the futures they deserve.

Ocea Garriock, Solution Engineer Director at Oracle South Africa, is currently the leader of a team of solution engineers that focus on using data to unlock possibilities and insights. She’s been in the IT industry for more than 30 years, with a technical background in system engineering and a personal passion for all things related to data. She’s met her fair share of male-dominated obstacles along the way and has some salient advice to share.