87% of IT professionals agree that there is a lack of gender diversity in the sector, however, according to Tech Workplace and Culture, less than half (41%) of companies have hiring programs in place to more women. Along these lines, the report, for which more than 7,226 tech professionals from around the world were surveyed, reveals that 74% of companies consider that attracting talent and retaining it is a challenge.
When analyzing why women continue to be underrepresented in technology roles, 43% of women surveyed (and 21% of men) say it is because the majority of IT models and leaders are men. According to 42% of women, the next big culprit is pay inequality, but only 15% of men who responded shared this opinion.
Another difference between genders is that, in general, men tend to give higher ratings to their sense of authority in specific areas of their current role, while women tend to give lower ratings. The differences between the perception of authority of men and women are greater in making purchasing decisions (13 percentage points of difference) and in the contribution to the strategy and direction of the company (10 percentage points of difference).
Julia Kanouse, Chief Membership Officer of ISACA and supervisor of the association’s SheLeadsTech program, explains: “More needs to be done to increase the representation of women in the IT and technology sector, and more needs to be done to welcome their leadership and influence”, He further adds: “This will not only help address the global skills gap and drive productivity in the sector, but will also create a more inclusive and diverse work environment.”
Women in technology
For their part, respondents believe that educational institutions can do more to promote gender inclusion, such as providing mentors or role models (52%), creating technology organizations that facilitate networking for women (42%) or hiring more female technology teachers (31%), among other measures.
SheLeads Tech Global Survey Reveals 87% of Respondents Believe Women Are Underrepresented in the IT Sector
Regarding their career plan, 68% of women and 72% of men are very satisfied with its evolution. Additionally, 73% of women and 71% of men say they have received a raise or promotion in the last two years.
Sarah Orton, UK and European lead for ISACA’s SheLeadsTech initiative, said: ‘It’s encouraging that women are almost as satisfied with career progression as their male counterparts and are slightly more likely to have received a raise. salary or a promotion in the last two years. Having a workforce of people with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives is not only the right thing to do, but also a business imperative that makes an organization more innovative and its work much more efficient and effective. Progress has been made – but the sector has more work to do, and ISACA is supporting this important work.”
