Tanya Romanyukha: “We can't discuss women in leadership without addressing men in caregiving roles”

For Tanya Romanyukha, General Manager of TechIsland, Cyprus’ entire leadership landscape is in dire need of an overhaul; not just a refresh or quick fix, but a complete and wide-ranging reboot.

And this encompasses so much more than just ensuring gender equality in leadership roles – she told the Women in STEAM conference by Cyta this week – with everyone needing to chip in – including and perhaps especially women – to create an entirely new operating system.

In order to ensure true equality, she says, we can't discuss women in leadership without addressing men in caregiving roles – though she concedes that women themselves can often be the problem.

“When I first saw the title of this session—"Leadership Reboot: More Women in Tech Leadership"—I smiled,” she said. “Because a reboot isn't just a refresh or a fix. A reboot means restarting with different logic, a new operating system.”

Starting off, Romanyukha said it was important to acknowledge the current landscape. “Let's be honest. Today, women are told a story of power that sounds like this: Be strong. Be confident. Be more competent than any man. Excel at work. Raise amazing children. Be emotionally present. Be an inspiring leader, a strategic mind, a beautiful partner. Don't complain. Don't slow down. Don't burn out.”

If you manage to do it all, she said, you're celebrated as a hero. “But this isn't a system of empowerment; it's a system of exhaustion.” So she wondered, “Why do we continue to glorify survival?”

We observe fatigue, scepticism, and regression in DEI efforts

According to Romanyukha, despite decades of discussions on equality and numerous initiatives, we observe fatigue, scepticism, and regression in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts.

“Meanwhile, as we work hard to make space for women, social media and emerging misogynistic influencers spread dangerous ideas about masculinity to millions of young boys—an entire anti-trend reacting to the women empowerment movement,” she warned.

The tech expert said Netflix's series Adolescence delves into this issue, inspired by real events where young boys committed acts of violence against girls, highlighting a surge in knife crimes among teenagers in the UK.

“The series explores the 'why'—revealing the growing countertrend to women's empowerment,” said Romanyukha.

Influencers gain popularity among young boys by promoting a version of masculinity that's hyper-masculine, anti-feminist, and extremely misogynistic and it’s inevitably affecting impressionable minds, she said.

“This isn't just a sad story; it's a warning and a mirror reflecting our failure to provide alternative, healthy systems, where we don’t compete, but cooperate.”

Sometimes, even we—as women—become part of the problem

Romanyukha also said the problem can often start closer to home. “Sometimes, even we—as women—become part of the problem. We work so hard, carry so much, and then—perhaps without meaning to—we laugh at men who can't ‘handle it’. We think: He wouldn't survive a week doing what I do every day.”

And maybe that's true, she added. “But making this a fight between genders doesn't help anyone. We need a reboot.”

Human potential isn't gendered

Instead of promoting the myth of the superhero woman, let's begin to celebrate balanced teams, dual career couples, thoughtful partnerships, and human systems where everyone thrives—at work and at home, Romanyukha continued. “Let's assign roles based on context and individual capability - at home and in business.”

Because human potential isn't gendered, she stressed. “It's not about the man who earns and the woman who supports—or the opposite. Human potential lies in balanced individuals, realized across all domains of life—career, relationships, creativity, and societal contribution. This is the future leadership model we must now build.”

She suggested we build non-linear leadership tracks, giving specific examples:

• Support parents; don't penalise them. At SAP, employees returning from parental leave receive time to readjust, including training, updates, and a support person during 8 weeks.
• Promote mental well-being. Microsoft assists employees in balancing work and personal life through wellness tools and special platform VIVA.
• Offer project-based leadership. Allow individuals to lead high-impact initiatives as a path to growth, even if they're not in formal positions.

“These approaches create room for women—and everyone—to grow without burnout,” Romanyukha pointed out.

Today, many companies still reward visibility, assertiveness and 24/7 availability, she said. But the most effective leaders now have:

• Systems thinking—being able to connect the dots across complexity.
• Emotional intelligence—managing conflict, coaching others, and leading with empathy.
• Relational trust—building psychologically safe, high-performing teams.

She suggested that companies can measure team health through engagement surveys, and feedback culture; reward empathy and mentorship in performance evaluations; and highlight sustainable success stories, not just short-term heroic over-performance.

“This evolution must shift from person-based leadership to ecosystem leadership and decentralised systems of co-creation and collaboration,” Romanyukha emphasised.

“We can't discuss women in leadership without addressing men in caregiving roles.”

Until we normalise: men taking parental leave; men managing school logistics or stepping back for family; and men expressing care and vulnerability, “we'll continue forcing women to shoulder disproportionate responsibility,” Romanyukha said.

To ensure this, she said companies can ensure equal parental leave for both parents; feature male leaders and dual career couples who model care in company storytelling; and create infrastructure supporting both parents, from childcare policies to flexible schedules designed for co-caregiving.

“Salesforce, for instance, has an on-site daycare centre called Little Ohana, helping employees work with peace of mind,” the head of the island’s biggest tech association offered as an example.

Concluding, she called for a reboot of leadership, “not just by lifting up a few exceptional women, but by building systems where the next generation of women — and men — can lead without sacrificing their humanity. Let us not just demand more from women – let us design better for everyone. And let Cyprus — this island of bridges between continents — become a laboratory for the world’s next model of leadership.”