Women behind quantum: Resilient systems start from within

When we talk about women in technology, the conversation often centres on access - getting more women into STEM, into engineering roles, into leadership pipelines.

But the question asked less often is, "Once we are here, what are we bringing to the table that men aren't?" 

I work in deep tech, developing post-quantum cryptography solutions at Aires Applied Quantum Technology. My bread and butter is designing secure digital infrastructure for a future in which quantum computers may be able to break today's encryption. It is a field that sits at the intersection of abstract mathematics and very practical engineering decisions. And it is a reminder that technology always reflects the assumptions, priorities, and imaginations of the people designing it.

In school, the path was usually clear. You were given a defined scope, a structured question, and a correct answer waiting at the end of it. If you worked hard enough, you would find it.

Working in quantum security taught me that many of the most important problems do not come with predefined boundaries, and they certainly do not come with neat answers. And women, psychologically, are more resilient at navigating mess. 

When I first entered the field, I remember worrying more about keeping up than fitting in. Quantum cryptography moves quickly. The mathematics is deep, and I often felt that there was always more to learn, and that someone else in the room probably understood the theory more thoroughly than I did.

What surprised me though, was how quickly I realised that working in real-world cryptography is less about having all the answers and more about learning how to operate in ambiguity.

How do you translate abstract integer hardness into deployable code? How do you avoid structural leakage? How do you ensure entropy is preserved in real implementations?

There is rarely a single "correct" solution. 

But being in tech made me realise that the shift from solving structured problems to navigating open-ended ones has been the steepest learning curve of my early career.

There was no single moment when I suddenly felt confident. It's something that came incrementally through feedback loops. I would propose an implementation approach, receive critique, refine it, and gradually learn how my judgment aligns with broader security principles. Learning to trust my reasoning required both humility and repetition.

As a young woman in a highly technical environment, self-doubt still surfaces from time to time. It is easy to assume others are more certain, more experienced, more fluent. But frontier technology is built on uncertainty. No one has complete clarity about the quantum timeline or which cryptographic assumptions will prove most durable. Everyone is learning in real time.

One of the biggest surprises in my career has been how much I value collaborative problem-solving. Early on, I thought my contribution would be purely technical output. Instead, I have found equal satisfaction in reviewing implementation logic together, debating design trade-offs, and explaining complex concepts in ways that sharpen everyone's thinking.

That culture matters. In fields as dense and evolving as quantum security, psychological safety is not a "soft" concept. It determines whether assumptions are challenged, flaws are surfaced early, and designs are strengthened collectively. Safety accelerates growth more effectively than any formal training programme.

When work feels overwhelming, I remind myself that uncertainty is part of building at the frontier. The systems we design today are meant to withstand threats that may only fully materialise years from now. It is serious work, but it is also long-term work. That perspective helps me stay grounded.

If I could speak to my university self, this is what I would say: 

"You do not need to have everything figured out. You need to keep showing up and doing the work. In deep tech, especially in quantum and post-quantum security, no one has all the answers. The field itself is still evolving." 

On International Women's Day, I hope young women considering technology see that there is space here for curiosity and steady growth. You do not need to be the loudest voice in the room. You do not need to solve everything alone.

You need to be willing to engage with hard problems, even when they do not yet have clear solutions.

That is where real confidence begins.