Diversity in IT: Interview with Gabrielle Botbol

Because we always want to promote diversity in IT, we took the opportunity to speak with Gabrielle Botbol, ​​a lesbian woman working in cybersecurity, to discuss inclusivity in terms of sexual orientation, gender, and intersectionality.

Historically and even recently, the technology and computer science sectors were and still are predominantly male. Reflecting this change, more and more efforts are being made by various stakeholders in the field to make STEM more inclusive: associations, support groups, events, etc. All these initiatives are helping to make the subject of diversity less taboo in this industry. Because even if it is a traditionally heterogeneous environment (whether we are talking about diversity of gender, sexual orientation, origin or religion), women and people from the LGBTQ+ community have also participated in making tech what it is today.

On the occasion of Montreal Pride, we wanted to give the floor to a person from the Quebec technology community who identifies with the LGBTQ+ community: Gabrielle Botbol , ​​offensive security consultant at Desjardins since 2021. Indeed, it is important for us to show that diversity is always a vector of progress.

From drama to computing, two worlds at opposite ends of the spectrum

Gabrielle identifies as a lesbian woman. She is a millennial who grew up in France in the 1990s and 2000s, where sexual and gender diversity were still very much a taboo subject. After finishing high school, she began studying drama and theater because, at the time, family pressure made her realize that the tech industry wasn't for women and wasn't a viable career for her.

A few years passed and Gabrielle decided to move away from France for a year with a Working Holiday Visa (WHV). She says, “When I was around 20, I decided to do a WHV in Montreal, which allowed me to do some introspection and pushed me to resume my computer studies upon my return to France.”
It was this opportunity to distance myself, coupled with a new cosmopolitan environment, that pushed Gabrielle to do this introspection, which in turn led her to find the environment in which she thrives today.

Upon her return to France, she began studying computer science. It was the 2010s, and as one might imagine, the student cohorts were not very diverse. In her two classes, Gabrielle found herself one of only two women, compared to 30 men.

“One of my classes was quite tolerant, but the other was quite racist, misogynistic, and homophobic. It was a pretty difficult time for me because I'm Jewish, and I heard jokes about concentration camps. Or the fact that women are bad at computers was a daily occurrence. So yes, you could say that the computer science cohorts (in France) lacked diversity.”

A lack of diversity that translates into widespread intolerance, whether it's gender, sexual orientation, or even religion. This kind of situation also clearly highlights the importance of taking an intersectional approach when discussing diversity.

But these stories are about ten years old, what about today?  

Through her work, Gabrielle still works with computer science students, more specifically in cybersecurity. But this time, it's as a trainer that she's experiencing IT training. She gives workshops and conferences, most often for adults or people returning to school, and notices a greater diversity than when she was training. She shares an anecdote: "Recently, I led a workshop for the University of Toronto, which offers continuing studies, and I always do quizzes to see what people remember, and the two people in the top two were women, so I was really pleased."

While this sample may not be representative of the reality of a traditional university program, it does demonstrate an interest in cybersecurity that transcends clichés. Another step toward inclusivity. Moreover, according to Gabrielle, the cybersecurity environment here in Quebec is quite inclusive, compared to the application development sector in France, the other sector in which she worked.

But while STEM fields are rarely diverse, that's not what demotivated Gabrielle—quite the opposite, in fact. Often being the only woman on her team actually motivated her to get involved in communities of women in cybersecurity.

“Before leaving, I launched a chapter of Women of Security in Paris. We went to meetups and cyber conferences, and we did the Spying Challenge at the Le Hack conference in Paris, and our women's team won. I was so happy.
When I arrived here (in Montreal), I did workshops for the Montreal chapter of Women of Security (now called Cyber ​​Aegis ). It was really exciting to see the mobilization of women in cyber in a city like Montreal that wants to be a leader in cybersecurity in the world!” Gabrielle tells us.

Between France, the Netherlands and Quebec: the taboo of diversity in IT

Between her experiences in France and Montreal, Gabrielle also had the opportunity to work in the Netherlands. Highly autonomous and independent, she self-taught in cybersecurity and decided to do an internship. It was there that the opportunity to work for a Dutch company presented itself. She found an internship at a socially engaged company: Radically Open Security. Offering penetration testing for all budgets, the company is committed to reinvesting 90% of its profits into the community. All these different experiences in the Netherlands, France, and Quebec allowed Gabrielle to compare the different environments and their relationship to diversity and the LGBTQ+ community.

She says, “In the Netherlands, they are very open to the (LGBTQ+) community, so for them it’s a non-issue, but in a good way. In France, as we said, it remains taboo. I often think about the period of the demonstrations against same-sex marriage, where we really felt the hatred and violence of certain political parties and also of many people. And then in Canada, as I was saying, I feel really good, I feel really comfortable.”
Very different environments, then, with quite different views on diversity. These divergent approaches are also found in the professional world.

In Canada, Gabrielle has never had to truly come out. She explains, “Since I started working in cybersecurity, it's something I've been able to say pretty quickly, and it's always gone very well, especially in my new company.” In fact, the topic of sexual orientation is so normalized here in Montreal that she was able to simply mention it during a conversation without any problems.

Are companies committed to diversity? Desjardins has done so.

Furthermore, it seems that in Canada, companies are more committed to becoming more inclusive with concrete actions and by setting diversity objectives. For example, Desjardins, where Gabrielle works, was recognized among Canada's Best Diversity Employers in 2021. Among the actions undertaken by the company, Gabrielle remembers an event in which she was able to participate: “Once we had an event that I think was called Brain Date and we all had the opportunity to chat with people, because of COVID it was really cool because we could still meet people. You made appointments with people who suggested topics that interested you, it was organized in partnership with Desjardins.”

Efforts towards inclusivity and diversity that are not limited to the LGBTQ+ community. On the Desjardins website , an entire section is dedicated to inclusivity: women, visible minorities, young people, the LGBTQ+ community of course, but also neurodivergent and disabled people. This is an assumed intersectional commitment that is still rarely found in companies of this size in France.

Although many efforts are being made here in Quebec, there's still a long way to go for the STEM community to become truly inclusive and diverse. Alongside initiatives undertaken by companies, associations such as Out In Tech and Lesbians Who Tech allow members of the LGBTQ+ community to connect in dedicated groups. Gabrielle also points out that she would like to see more initiatives of this kind in Quebec, and especially in Montreal, as they often remain exclusively in the English-speaking part of Canada.

In summary

The STEM field, and more specifically the technology field, still lacks diversity of all kinds. Although these fields are still predominantly male, notable progress is being made towards a more inclusive technological world. It's thanks to committed individuals like Gabrielle and initiatives such as those undertaken by Desjardins and Out in Tech that things are changing.

And you, what kind of initiatives for diversity in IT would you like to see in the sector in Quebec and elsewhere?

A big thank you to you, Gabrielle, for your time and commitment to defending the rights of women and people from the LGBTQ+ community.

About Nexxo

Nexxo Computer Solutions specializes in providing IT and technology services to Quebec businesses. Its mission is to offer Quebec companies IT services tailored to their needs. Acting as an external IT department, it handles all of a company's IT tasks, allowing it to focus on its business activities. It achieves this by collaborating closely with its clients and putting their interests at the center of its concerns.