ΝΕΑ

30/04/2015

Women are needed in Tech

The computing industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in Europe, yet not many women are benefiting from it. There is an enormous gender gap in the technology industry and male dominance in the field is bad for the industry and for women.

Around 7 million people work in the information and communication (ICT) sector in the EU, but not more than 30% are women. They are under-represented at all levels in the sector, especially in decision-making positions. Twitter was the latest tech company to publish figures showing that women are still underrepresented in ICT.  However, this disparity hurts the tech companies themselves.

Women represent half of the users of technology products.  According to a study by Deloitte, research shows that “women’s choices impact up to 85% of purchasing decisions”. Consequently, having women in decision-making positions could be beneficial to help define the roadmaps of the companies.

The digital department of the European Commission, DG CONNECT, is actively tackling female underrepresentation, beginning with tech panels. DG CONNECT always include at least two women speakers at their events and doesn’t accept invitations to speak on all-male panels or at all-male conferences.

It is likely that many woman have never even considered a career in technology. “We need to do a better job of exposing women to technology-related jobs”, stresses Cindy Bates, one of Microsoft’s Vice Presidents. Yet, stereotypes, educational hurdles and sexism have an important role to play.

Through interviews, animation and flashpoints, CODE documentary examines the reasons why more women are not seeking opportunities in ICT. The documentary highlights the importance of women like Ada Lovelace and Grace Hopper to the history of computing, nevertheless underlines that since then women have been written out of it.