![[Women in Tech] Retaining women in workforce requires long-term commitment, performance accountability, and realistic policies, says Wendy Johnstone of Zendesk](https://i.headtopics.com/images/2021/7/27/women2/the-barriers-keeping-women-from-entering-and-staying-in-the-workforce-run-deep-and-wide-particularly-1420126611295330304.webp)
'The barriers keeping women from entering and staying in the workforce run deep and wide, particularly in STEM and in leadership roles.'
, COO-APAC, Zendesk, says, she didn’t deliberately seek out a career in STEM, but once she landed her first job at a tech company, she has never looked back.
Growing up, I watched both my parents work hard to provide for my brother and I - my father was an electrician, and my mother was a teacher. My dad put himself through university while holding down a day job so that he could progress into management, while my mum went back to school to gain her degree in teaching after having children. She has been such a role model for me, as I watched her spending her days studying and looking after us as children.
In saying that, it’s true that Zoom fatigue is real. I regularly check how many calls I have in a day and will often reschedule if I feel as though there are too many. I also turn off the video at times if I feel fatigued from being on camera for too long. I think what is important for me as a leader is being an example of opening and sharing when I might be struggling with this.