A Call to Action for the Australian ICT Industry

Posted by Sarah Mitchell on 22 May 2011 | 1 Comments

Tags: women, technology, gender bias

Last week I attended a panel discussion organised by the ACS-Women titled, Where are all the women in technology? There’s no disputing the number of women in technology is diminishing even though we’re earning more university degrees and advanced degrees than the guys. While the whole IT sector is shrinking, it’s especially worrying to think women are no longer considering technology as a viable career path. The event didn’t cover any new ground and, in my mind, probably took a step towards reinforcing some of the problems in our industry.

Gender fatigue

First, let me be the first to put my hand up and say I’m weary of all the hand-wringing reports about the lack of women in technology. Honestly. I’m sick of talking about it. I wish I had written this post, A Letter to Women in Tech, I Let You Down, but it was Lisa Barrone who created that bit of magic. Suffice it to say I agree with Lisa. I suspect if you’re reading this post, you do too.

Disappointing advice

The big take-away from the panel discussion was depressing. We were advised to find a male mentor – someone in the ‘old boys ‘ network – and get them to help navigate the closed world of technology. Really? That's circa 1977 advice if you ask me. Even more depressing was the number of ‘old boys’ in the room nodding their head in agreement. To be fair, I’m not sure I saw that clearly because my eyes were rolling in unison with my jaw dropping. This is, after all, 2011. I love how the solution to the problem ends back in the lap of the women, also circa 1977.

How to really get women in technology

It’s not up to the women to change; it’s up to our industry to change. If we’re serious about attracting women in to technology jobs, I can tell you exactly what needs to be done to shift the tide. Make technology a lucrative career for women and they’ll be beating the door down for jobs. I’m not kidding. Australian women earn on average 17% less than men when all things are equal. Can you imagine what would happen if ICT gets a reputation for remunerating women exactly the same way they do men?

Will Australian ICT clue up? 

There’s no shortage of women in technology. Many of us have struck out on our own after discouraging experiences with compensation and promotion. That often means technology is no longer the defining element of our work. It certainly doesn’t mean we’re abandoning the field; we’re simply working on our own terms. It’s not time for women to change. It’s time for the industry to get a clue. 

Important Clarification

During the panel discussion Go Girl, Go for IT was described as an ACS initiative. It is not. Women in Technology are the people behind the Go Girl careers showcase. In WA, our current initiative to attract youth (both girls and boys) into technology careers is called techtrails. We're looking for volunteers! 

What do you think will attract women to technology careers?

Image credits from Flickr.com: