The path to success for women in IT

Education of women severely lags behind that of men in many developing nations. Fewer girls go to school, tend to drop out earlier than boys, do not receive the same level of education as their male counterparts, and often choose careers that are female predominant (Kelly, 1987). Without exception, India is quite representative of these gender-biased phenomena in education. However, the recent explosion of offshore outsourcing market in India has created a new recognition regarding the role of women in technological careers. The Indian IT sector has seen a trend contrary to what most western nations are experiencing—predominance of women in IT, particularly in IT-enabled services (ITES). India has acknowledged that extensive and intensive use of information and communications technologies (ICT) alone can help the nation develop its neglected human resources, emerge as a knowledge-based society, and participate competitively in the global trade and services. Consequently, the development of ICT has become a national issue with strong impetus from the union government in New Delhi (Choudhary, 1999). Explicit in this initiative is the recognition that to progress as an information society, women must be empowered as key players the IT sector. In parallel, two other trends have focused attention on women in the information society—a nationwide movement for women’s rights spearheaded by many non-government organizations (NGOs) and an increased awareness of corporate social responsibility. Consequently, over the last decade, there has been an increased emphasis on education and reskilling India’s female workforce. While many government efforts are targeted toward the overall upliftment of women, many grassroots level initiatives led by NGO’s and corporations emphasize technological training. This article highlights how the intertwining of grassroots and policy level efforts can increase the pace at which a nation’s female workforce can be reskilled and prepared for a technological world. The article also addresses concerns about such rapid development and potentially challenging outcomes while making recommendations for improvement.

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Does gender matter in online learning?

Research in Learning Technology ◽

10.3402/rlt.v9i2.12024 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Mae McSporran ◽

Stuart Young

Keyword(s):

Online Learning ◽

Women In It

The image of a stereotypical computing student is still 'geeky' (Selby, Ryba and Young, 1997; Margolis, Fisher and Miller, 1999) or 'nerdy, unwashed and working incredibly long hours, pausing occasionally to drink coke and order a pizza' (Brook, Mann and Virtue, 2000). This might be the reason that only 20 per cent of undergraduate IT students are female (Brook et ah, 2000). Indeed over the years there have been many attempts to be proactive and promote women in IT, both by institutes and individuals.DOI:10.1080/0968776010090202

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Exploring students' stereotypes regarding computer science and stimulating reflection on roles of women in IT

10.1109/fie49875.2021.9637327 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Oswald Comber ◽

Renate Motschnig ◽

Barbara Gobl ◽

Hubert Mayer ◽

Esra Ceylan

Keyword(s):

Computer Science ◽

Women In It

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Women in Information Technology

Strategies for Managing IS/IT Personnel - Advances in Human Resources Management and Organizational Development ◽

10.4018/978-1-59140-128-5.ch008 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 165-194 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Amy Woszczynski ◽

Martha Myers ◽

Catherine Beise

Keyword(s):

Information Technology ◽

Role Models ◽

College Preparation ◽

Community Groups ◽

Diverse Workforce ◽

Self Confidence ◽

Women In It ◽

It Managers ◽

Family And Work ◽

Women In Information Technology

IT managers must recruit and retain a skilled and diverse workforce in order to meet the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s increasingly globalized enterprises. The pipeline for women in IT starts small and shrinks as women are disaffected from the profession at all levels of school and career. This chapter surveys the literature concerning the dearth of women and categorizes this literature along dimensions of methodology, variables, and groups studied. Numerous suggestions and guidelines for improving women’s representation have been offered. Recurring themes include lack of self-confidence, lack of pre-college preparation, the need for mentors and role models, the importance of community groups, and the need to value both family and work priorities. Few studies have empirically tested these recommendations, and much work remains to be done in order to understand and address the real issues. Solutions to recruiting and retaining women may serve other under-represented groups as well, making IT classrooms and IT workplaces more congenial and ultimately more productive environments for everyone.

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Interventions and Solutions in Gender and IT

Global Business ◽

10.4018/978-1-60960-587-2.ch709 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 1991-1998

Author(s):

Amy B. Woszczynski ◽

Janette Moody

Keyword(s):

Information Technology ◽

Interdisciplinary Approach ◽

Women In It ◽

It Workforce ◽

Women In Technology ◽

The Many ◽

Definition Of ◽

Professional Fields ◽

It Workplace ◽

Gender And It

The role of women in technology-related fields began with promising contributions from pioneers like Grace Hopper. In recent years, women have moved away from information technology (IT) fields, and the number of women selecting IT majors in universities continues to decline. Likewise, the number of women employed in the IT workforce remains low and declining. Researchers have recognized the problem and have investigated the many reasons for low participation of women in IT-related fields. Researchers have proposed various interventions to fill the pipeline and retain women in computing. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the current state of women in IT. We focus on girls and women at various life stages, from early education to the IT workplace. We also provide a discussion of the various methods and appropriate interventions that may be employed to encourage women to become empowered users of technology worldwide. We use a broad definition of IT, which includes computer science (CS), computer engineering, information systems (IS), information technology (IT), and related professional fields. By examining research from multiple technologyrelated fields, we gain a clearer picture of the many ways that women may participate in IT. Recent research on gender and IT has used an interdisciplinary approach, which has greatly expanded our potential for understanding why women decide not to pursue IT-related fields and how to implement appropriate interventions. Researchers from topics as diverse as IS, psychology, social sciences, education, and feminism, have taken a distinctive approach to understanding why women are not better represented in the IT workplace. We believe this broad, interdisciplinary approach has great potential to understand motivations for women pursuing IT-related careers. As Trauth & Niederman (2006, p. 8) said, “…the IT profession is challenged with meeting the demand to enlarge the IT workforce by recruiting and retaining personnel from historically underrepresented groups.” This chapter looks at women in IT, shedding light on one historically underrepresented group.

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The Last Moment

Adam Bede ◽

10.1093/owc/9780199203475.003.0053 ◽

2008 ◽

Author(s):

George Eliot

Keyword(s):

Young Women ◽

Women In It

It was a sight that some people remembered better even than their own sorrows—the sight in that grey clear morning, when the fatal cart with the two young women in it was descried by the waiting watching multitude, cleaving its way towards the hideous...

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Pathways into a Gendered Occupation

International Journal of Social and Organizational Dynamics in IT ◽

10.4018/ijsodit.2012100103 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2 (4) ◽

pp. 34-51

Author(s):

Jamie Swim ◽

Lecia Barker

Keyword(s):

Sao Paulo ◽

São Paulo ◽

Barriers To Entry ◽

Leadership Positions ◽

Technical Programs ◽

Technology Industry ◽

Men 2 ◽

Women In It ◽

Primary Caretakers ◽

Upper Level

Although São Paulo is the hub of a growing technology industry in Brazil, female participation in São Paulo’s male-dominated IT sector has decreased over recent decades. Reasons for this trend are complex and research on this topic in Brazil is limited. In an effort to learn about barriers to entry and retention for women in IT careers in Brazil 10 interviews were conducted in São Paulo with women working in information technology (IT) careers. Findings from this study include: 1) IT jobs are considered appropriate for some Brazilian women, but those women are sometimes regarded as abnormal, and technical programs and workplaces are mainly occupied by men, 2) Brazilian women feel constrained by the expectation that they be primary caretakers of domestic responsibilities, and 3) most upper-level leadership positions in IT are held by men. This study is an initial effort on which further research can expand.

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Design-Based Learning and the Participation of Women in IT

Frontiers A Journal of Women Studies ◽

10.1353/fro.2005.0012 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 141-147 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Elizabeth Jessup ◽

Tamara Sumner

Keyword(s):

Participation Of Women ◽

Women In It

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