Progress requires movement
Awareness is a valuable first step. But it’s not enough. It won’t bring progress unlesss we take active steps.
Asking women how they feel about women in tech means you are aware and maybe interested. It’s a good start. A seed has been planted. Maybe by your wife or daughter.
But unless you change your recruiting, interviewing and hiring practices, you’ve done nothing. The seed has not grown nor been given a chance to flourish.
How do we move from awareness to action? From educating to progress? How do we move forward?
It’s the spark. It’s the moment we decide: I know about this, and I think it’s worth doing something about. This deserves my attention and my action. I want to change this. I want to do it differently. Or better. I’m a person of action, not simply idle chatter.
For some ideas and some people, a spark may never come. And if it does, it needs fostering. It needs care and attention to help it grow.
Others with influence may disagree with the spark, with the progress you want to make. But if the awareness and education are solid, you can push back and start others on their own path to progress.
It may not always be easy. But it may be more worthwhile than you could have imagined. So why not give it a try?
Abbe's Road 
Is action for the sake of action worth it? Or does it need to be deliberate, thoughtful, and moving in the right direction?
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Option 2. I believe the first step is awareness. And only if you believe what you’ve become aware of is vital in some way, should it then move to progress. In the example I used, a person is hearing about an issue and is aware of it enough to talk about it, ask questions and listen. But still, no spark, no action, no progress.
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