International Women’s Day at Eryk Remote IT Services: Voices, Strength, and Representation
At Eryk Remote IT Services, we believe the best way to celebrate International Women’s Day is to listen to the voices of the women who shape our organisation. So, we had some interviews about the experiences, perspectives, and the future of women in technology.
For Akalaka Vony Ogunbanjo, CEO and Co-Founder of Eryk Remote IT Services, International Women’s Day carries both pride and responsibility. She sees it as a moment that celebrates progress while reminding us that the work is not finished. In her own words:
“Personally, IWD is a celebration, a call to action, and a historical marker, reminding the world of both how much has been achieved with regard to systemic barriers against women, and how much remains unfinished.”
“Women face a myriad of challenges as professionals. Through the many challenges I have faced personally, such as microaggression, hyper-scrutiny – to name a few, I have chosen to remain relentless and to stand in the power of knowing who I am.”
For Chizaram Obiakor, Project Manager at Eryk Remote IT Services, “It’s a moment to celebrate how far women have come and laugh a little at how we somehow still manage to do everything. Honestly, it’s also a good day to give a loud ‘well done’ to the women who have been quietly carrying a lot all along.”
Working in tech has also allowed her to challenge one stereotype she often encounters. The assumption that women are not technical enough. Women across IT teams are diagnosing production issues, explaining technical decisions clearly to others, and keeping track of details that hold projects together.
Her journey has also required confidence in moments when voices needed to be heard more clearly. Speaking up, being prepared, and consistently delivering strong work has helped build credibility over time.
Strength, resilience, and quiet determination are qualities that define many women in technology. They are also the qualities that Funmi Obiesesan, a Power BI Developer, believes deserve recognition on International Women’s Day.
For her, working in technical environments has also allowed her to challenge a familiar stereotype. The idea that women engineers are somehow less capable than their male counterparts.
Funmi sees this assumption as something worth proving wrong through consistent results.
“There’s often an automatic dismissiveness toward women in technical roles, and I love proving that wrong by consistently delivering excellence and demonstrating that competence has no gender.”
Some careers begin with opportunity. Others begin with belief. For Stephanie Okeke, a Junior Salesforce Architect, that belief started early at home with the women who shaped her mindset.
Her mother and grandmother always made it clear that she could pursue anything she genuinely cared about. That encouragement stays with her as she builds her career. Working in technology has also given her the chance to quietly challenge one common stereotype. The assumption that women are less analytical or technical. Yet experience consistently proves otherwise.
“In reality, I have seen women solve complex problems and deliver just as effectively, so I enjoy quietly proving that capability has nothing to do with gender.”
Like many professionals in the field, Stephanie has also felt the pressure to prove competence quickly. Her response has been simple: focus on the work and let results speak. Over time, she has learned that growth requires space to learn. By staying consistent, delivering results, and treating mistakes as lessons rather than failures, confidence and credibility naturally follow.
Thoughts on representation
Many reasons come to mind, but the most important for me is that the world needs what women bring. Homogeneous systems produce homogeneous solutions. – Akalaka
Representation matters because when girls see women building technology, leading teams, and solving big problems, it makes the path feel more possible. Representation says, “Yes, you belong here too.”- Chizaram
Representation of women in IT and engineering is essential because it brings diversity of thought, innovation, and balance to the tech space. Technology isn’t gender‑specific—women belong in these fields just as much as men, and their presence helps create more inclusive, equitable, and future‑ready solutions. – Funmi
Representation matters because it shows younger women that these spaces are accessible to them. For many women coming from places like Nigeria and working in global tech environments, visibility helps make that path feel real and achievable.- Stephanie
Advice to young women considering a career in technology
Competence is your loudest voice! Focus relentlessly on getting genuinely good at your craft, whether that’s coding, data, product, or systems. Skill is the most unassailable form of confidence. Be confident, do not shrink to fit in. Take up space deliberately. – Akalaka
Don’t wait until you feel perfectly ready. Most people in tech are learning as they go anyway. Start, stay curious, and ask lots of questions. The confidence comes later… usually after breaking a few things first. – Chizaram
There is room for you. The world has a need and a place for your talent. There is a plethora of women in the world doing groundbreaking things in tech. – Funmi
Find something in tech that you genuinely enjoy before committing to it. When things inevitably get difficult, it’s that real interest in the work (not motivational slogans) that keeps you going. – Stephanie
