Everyone Struggles

This is my official second blog post as an Outreachy intern, and this week’s theme is “Struggle.” And yes, Everyone Struggles, though in varying degrees.

Early in the Outreachy application process, the term “systemic bias” appeared frequently, and it really made me stop and think because I wasn’t sure I fully grasped the meaning. Yes, I had a general idea of what “bias” was associated with, things like unfairness, assumptions, discrimination — but “systemic bias”? That felt heavier. And to be honest, I wasn't exactly sure how it applied to open source, or to me personally.

I first saw the term while filling out the eligibility essays. The questions asked me how I’ve been impacted by systemic bias and whether it affected my access to education or work in tech. I remember staring at the question and thinking: Wait, is this asking about racism? Or poverty? Or being a woman in tech? Or something else entirely?

So I did what most of us do when something feels unfamiliar, I turned to Google, YouTube and ChatGPT. I found articles about this type of bias in tech and how systemic barriers affect underrepresented groups of people. That’s when it started to click.

Systemic bias refers to forms of discrimination that are built into systems, like hiring practices, education, access to internet or mentorship. These are things that aren't about one individual being unfair or unkind to another, but it is almost like the whole structure is making it harder for certain people (or groups of people) to succeed. In tech, this can look like job descriptions that exclude people with non-traditional backgrounds, people with disabilities or communities that unintentionally gatekeep knowledge.

Reading those articles plus watching those videos on YouTube helped me understand something deep: I wasn't “less than” for struggling. I was facing challenges that weren’t just personal, but part of larger systems. I was struggling because some systems already in place made my journey more difficult than it should be. And that’s exactly why programs like Outreachy exist, to push back against those systems and give people like me, like us, a fair shot.

Still, it felt intimidating to write about it. I worried: What if my experiences aren’t “big enough”? What if I’m not marginalized “enough”? But I reminded myself, Systemic bias isn’t always loud or violent. Sometimes systemic bias isn’t loud or obvious. It can show up in small, quiet ways. For example, not having access to a mentor, struggling to afford consistent internet access, or simply not seeing anyone who looks like you in the spaces you’re trying to enter. It’s seen in the assumption that contributors can intern/work for free so that they can "gain real-world experience", or when job listings demand years of experience for entry-level roles.

Systemic bias often hides in plain sight within the tech world. Hackathons are often hosted in wealthier urban centers or tech hubs, making it harder for people from rural or underserved areas to participate due to travel costs, lack of local opportunities, or limited digital access. Some hiring processes favor university graduates, while overlooking self-taught developers. I've personally sent mails applying for roles clearly marked as “Remote”, only to be hit with “Sorry, we're not hiring from your region”. These quiet barriers can stack up, making it harder for underrepresented people to thrive, even when they’re just as capable.

While doing my own research, I checked former Outreachy intern blogs and they helped me understand that I too, had a fighting chance if I was honest about myself and my experiences. More like saying: You belong here. Tell your story honestly. And I did. I wrote about my struggles getting into tech from a non-tech background, and issues specific to me in my journey.

To anyone applying to Outreachy or just stepping into tech, wondering if it’s normal to struggle with understanding what something means, please know this: It absolutely is. You're not alone in being confused or unsure. And when you do research to find the answers, understand them and share your own unique stories, you open the door for others to do the same. If you're uncomfortable speaking to people you do not know to help you grasp the meaning of something, there's a lot of information on Google and YouTube to help you understand stuff, plus there's ChatGPT too.

Understanding "systemic bias" helped me understand myself better, not just as a programmer, but as a person navigating a world that hasn’t always been fair. And now, thanks to Outreachy, I’m no longer navigating it alone.