IT industry culture failing women

The number of women working in the IT industry continues to decline, according to a government-backed report published today (Thursday).

The report from trade body Intellect and the Department of Trade and Industry, says the number of women now employed in the sector has dropped to 16 per cent of the workforce, from a high of about 21 per cent five years ago.

Women make up 46 per cent of the wider UK workforce.

The report, compiled by sector skills body e-Skills UK, says women are leaving IT professions faster than they can be recruited, and the industry is not doing enough to reverse the decline.

‘Regardless of the size of the decline, the issue is there are fewer women in IT,’ said Intellect’s Carrie Hartnell.

‘The UK needs to understand that this is not a gender issue – we need to maintain a diverse workforce to stay competitive.’

The report also reveals that women are under-represented in higher-skilled IT jobs, and dominate the lower-skilled and lower-paid areas of the industry.

Some 61 per cent of database assistants and 42 per cent of assemblers of electrical products are female, compared with only 20 per cent of ICT managers, and 12 per cent of IT strategy or planning professionals.

Representation within the electronics industry is extremely low at just six per cent.

‘The number of women connecting up the chain start to drop off, with the culture of a lack of flexibility and long hours to blame,’ said Hartnell.

E-Skills UK’s Karen Price said: ‘We must address the negative perception of IT.’

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