The gender gap in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) is still very large. In higher education, only 35% of the students enrolled in these disciplines are women. What is particularly concerning is that these percentages are especially low in ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) at only 3%. In Europe for instance, only 29 of 1000 ICT graduates were women in 2015. Studies show that the gender gap starts as early as high school, where girls are less likely to choose subjects related to technology and science. This trend follows them in higher education and then into their careers. [1]
The ICT sector is the fastest growing industry in North Macedonia, with a skilled workforce made up of young, educated IT specialists, both men and women. According to the most recent estimates from June 2020, our country has 1.957 companies active in this industry. Nevertheless, women make up only 27% of the workforce in our IT sector, and when it comes to managerial positions that number drops to only 12%. [2]
These numbers are alarming and reflect a need to address the lack of inclusion of women and girls in one of the most important sectors for innovation and development in a society.
We spoke to Aleksandra Risteska, a web developer in the Reactor team, about some of the ways in which the gender gap in the ICT sector can be addressed.
What can we do to close the gender gap in the ICT sector?
A big part of the problem with why we have so few women in the ICT sector does not come from the industry itself, since this sector is among the most open to new hires regardless of gender, nationality, sexual orientation, etc. In North Macedonia there still exists the stereotype that IT jobs are male professions and this is one of the biggest reasons for the large gender gap in the sector.
The good news is that this type of thinking is already becoming antiquated and we have more and more women included in the educational processes that produce IT workers. There is a need for continuous work in this area, in order to motivate and encourage more women and girls to continue their education in ICT. In my opinion, one of the most important factors that would contribute to reducing the gender gap in this sector is investment in education, especially in reskilling existing workers. There are many women in different professions who would be able to pivot their skills to the IT sector through adequate reskilling.
Unlike other sectors, in the IT sector there is an openness to hiring both women and men, which is the result of a deficit in skilled workers in this sector. Adequate education programs that are based on using existing skills and pivoting them to the IT sector (“upskilling”) would contribute to women fulfilling their potential in the IT industry.
The ICT sector is much more than just a technical sector in which only technical skills are valued. This sector also requires a workforce with a high level of communications, business and management skills. In my opinion this is where we have the biggest potential for women to not only enter the sector, but also advance to higher positions.
In addition to this, I have to mention the need for gender disaggregated data from the sector, which would help identify the largest gaps and challenges and allow for these to be addressed through adequate measures.
How can companies and organizations contribute to change?
In this sense we are already making strides in the right direction, and I am proud to say that the foundations for working conditions in which there is no gender discrimination have already been established. Many of our companies are starting to follow the positive examples from western countries in how they are tackling this problem. Introducing practices such as gender-sensitive recruitment efforts to attract more women applicants in the ICT companies, mentorships, perks that improve work-life balance – these are just a few of the measures that companies can adopt if they want to reduce the gender gap.
One of the best ways for women to advance in their careers is to be included in mentorship programs with mentors that have extensive experience in the industry. This would contribute to accelerated career advancement within companies that is based on learning through exchange of experiences and best practices. This practice will allow for the development of a community of women that can continue to work on advancing gender equality and serve as a support system for a new generation of ICT workers.
Companies can contribute through the development of internal policies that focus on gender equality, take into account the needs of all employees, as well as through efforts that include gender-sensitive measures in hiring women in IT positions, especially companies that are not part of the ICT sector and have a limited number of ICT positions.
What is the role of educators and parents?
As I mentioned earlier, in my opinion this is the most important part that will lead to the biggest change. We are aware that nothing changes over night and that we cannot suddenly introduce equal participation in a sector that is dominated by men, but the more we invest in our youth, the better our results will be. It has been established through many examples that the best IT workers are those who began their IT education from a very young age. This is precisely the key step that should not be skipped. If we succeed in increasing interest and encourage the development of workers from the earliest ages, we will see much better results in the long term.
These future workers and professions will be more involved in ICT technology, which will make the IT sector a regular part of any company and which is precisely why we need to start developing skills from the earliest age. In the future, with the development of technology and digitalization, sectors that did not depend on ICT technology, such as law and economy among others, will become more deeply connected to technology. This means that future lawyers and economists will need advanced knowledge in technology in order to be competitive on the market. This is why I think we should not be looking at the ICT sector as a distinct branch of industry, but rather as the tree trunk that will connect all sectors in the future and will serve as the basis for the work of all successful companies.
In order to succeed in being competitive in the future, there is nothing more important than increasing the IT focus in education, not only as an area of study, but as a tool necessary for all other professions. This can be achieved by including girls in various programs from the youngest ages, where they could acquire practical ‘real world’ knowledge and experience that they can then apply in their careers. It is here that the companies can have significant input, through partnerships with educational institutions and non-governmental organizations, and increase their contribution to educating workers with real-world skills and work experience that is applicable in the industry.