22 Feb 2011
Maggie’s comments are certainly food for thought for the industry.
More women need to be encouraged at a young age to take up technology as this will sow the seeds of their interest in the subject. Sadly, the number of girls who turn their interests into careers remains pitifully low. According to eskills UK, although 45 per cent of the UK workforce is female, women account for only about 17 per cent of IT and telecoms professionals. So it’s clear that the industry and indeed government need to stop talking about the problems and find solutions. Separate classes could be one option, but there are others. Why not add technology to the government’s new English Baccalaureate? Surely if we want more girls to study technology, and the growth of the UK economy is so dependent on technology, giving incentives to technology qualifications is an option?
But it’s no good encouraging more women into technology if the industry itself does not change. If Computing’s recent poll is right and about 70 per cent of respondents truly think “women and technology don’t mix”, even those women who do enter the sector will find it hard. It’s not just about attracting more women into the sector, we must give them a level playing field and a corporate culture that will allow them to succeed. The industry must recognise the benefits in terms of skills, culture and insight that women bring.
Clare Grant, Women in Mobile Data Association
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