For me, personally, a lot has changed since entering the tech industry almost 5 years ago. I graduated from a frontend boot camp, got my first job, and two years later my second. I've just switched positions again, though internally, and am, on the whole, pretty happy with that. I've been privileged enough to visit (and sometimes speak at) many developer conferences around the world and I'm proud of how far I've come since my first hello world.

Funnily enough, a #shecoded article was the first one I ever wrote on dev.to and kind of my stepping stone into this community and any form of (remotely technical) content creation. It's become a bit of a staple for me, as for many others.

This year, I had been thinking a lot about what I wanted to write about for International Women's Day.

Working in a fully remote setup, I feel pretty far removed from a lot of the subtle workplace sexism that is out there in the real world. It's definitely more sheltered, working from home, where only my cat is bullying me.

But at the same time, it's 2024, and there are still so many big and small injustices that we have just gotten used to - in tech and far beyond.

It's crucial to fight, to gather allies, to share experiences, and openly discuss.

But in all of this, sometimes, we also all deserve a break. Because at least for me, thinking about these kinds of injustices too much makes me angry and helpless - two things, I'd rather not be.

So today, I want to express my gratitude for the amazing people and communities I got to meet along the way - not to be too dramatic, but I would probably not be in this industry anymore if it wasn't for you.

I am so grateful for

• My amazing colleagues, who have become mentors and friends. Whom I get to learn from every day. Who generously share their knowledge, are not only incredibly smart and patient but also some of the kindest people I've met. Thank you Bibiana, Arisa, Alba, Lisi, Lori, Maria and so many more ♥️
• All of our amazing guests who joined our GirlCode Coffee Break Streams and dedicated their time to chat with us about topics like Accessibility, CSS, Mental Health and Well-Being - only to name a few. After each stream, I have a list of topics I want to immediately dive into because I found the conversations so motivating. Thank you Anuradha, Gift, Carmen, Julia, Vasilika, Ramona and sooo many more <3
• Coding communities like Girl Code, Women Tech Makers, Social Developers Club, Svelte Sirens and so many more, for creating safe spaces for learning and growing together
• Fellow (female) speakers and amazing allies at conferences who make me feel included and welcome, despite impostor syndrome.
• People reaching out, whether at conferences or online to ask about how to be a better ally. Thank you!

There are so many amazing people, welcoming, inclusive, and supportive communities and safe spaces.

Despite all that is going on, in the tech industry and beyond - we need to stick together to make sure it all gets a little better every day. ✨