This article is the first part of a three-part series on Women in IT that I wrote after presenting the information at a Devoxx BOF. In addition to this article about the challenges for women entering and pursuing a career in IT, the other two parts of the series discuss reasons why more women should be in IT and strategies to tackle the issues. This series of articles aims to make visible and raise the awareness of the challenges, reasons, and strategies for women in IT.
Despite the fact that women have been making great strides in other fields such as medicine and the law, the number of women in IT have been declining drastically since the mid-80’s. Gender stereotypes both in academia and corporate culture continue to exist at the disadvantage of women. These sometimes subtle, sometimes offensive prejudices where women are perceived to be less capable and less suited for IT began when we were children, continued through school, and into our professional lives. Granted, many women have succeeded in IT, but there should be more. This article describes some of the challenges facing women before and after they have entered a career in IT.
Girls and Boys and Self-Confidence
Starting at an early age, girls and boys are treated differently. Girls are given toys that promote social interaction and communication, while boys are given toys that promote competition and spatial orientation (hand-eye coordination). Boys are encouraged to play outside and be active, while girls are encouraged to sit quietly and be passive. After the childhood years, studies show that girls in adolescence begin and continue to have low self-esteem, which predictably have an enormous affect on academic achievement and furthermore, on their careers. To counter this problem, a US-based website on education has put together some information on how to encourage more girls in math and science. I found that another article that discusses what parents can do to promote self-esteem in girls is a valuable list for all of us in our own attitudes about learning, challenging stereotypes, and speaking up to get our voices heard.
Image of IT
The image of IT as a geeky, male-only, boring profession with long hours isolated at a computer is out-dated. In fact, the world of IT has been changing and the image of IT needs a makeover to match the reality. In a global economy, IT is more and more about communication and teamwork, and increasingly about delivering business value. Technical knowledge only gets you in the door, but it takes more than just technical knowledge to really succeed in a career in IT. Skills such as being able to collaborate and work well in a team and being able to communicate the business benefit of a piece of technology are essential in the growth of a technical career. In a study on women in mid-career at technology companies by the Anita Borg Institute, the following characteristics were identified as qualities critical for success in a technical career:
- analytical
- innovator
- questioning
- risk-taking
- collaborative
- entrepreneurial
- assertive
This suggests that the traditional (and popular) image of IT as “an anti-social hacker who works isolated in the glow of his computer screen” is simply out-dated. The future of IT requires engaged thinkers who work closely with others and who can align with business to achieve mutual success.
Cultural Expectations and Stereotypes
In some cultures, “traditional values” prevent women from working, driving, traveling, or even getting an education. In developed countries, although women are encouraged to get an education, they often choose non-technical studies, and a large percentage drop out of the workforce all together. Despite advances in education and career opportunities for women in the last decades, women are still more likely to have to deal with the double burden of doing more housework and being the primary caregiver for children and elderly family members. They are also more likely to experience a “family penalty” where the woman is perceived as less devoted to the company, while the man is seen as the primary “breadwinner” of the family. Based on stereotypes of the abilities of women, they are sometimes pushed into support roles or non-technical work, or they are passed over for promotions because they are (or assumed to be) family-focused or unwilling to travel.
Male Work Culture
When the women who either through sheer talent, support of their families, or just dogged determination begin a career in IT, some find that the male culture of the workplace is not ideal. In a report about the status of women in the IT industry, IT culture is largely described a “white, male-dominated, anti-social, individualistic, [and] competitive”. Cultural stereotypes contribute to an environment where women’s strengths are consistently undervalued. Women who start at a new job have to work harder to prove themselves, while men who start at a new job are assumed to be good at what they do. Women often have to work harder and longer hours to gain the same level of respect and recognition from managers and colleagues. Sometimes, macho “alpha-male” boorish types, who are offensive towards women because they cannot stand to have a woman as a colleague or superior, are tolerated by managers in exchange for the perceived price of intellectual contribution. Furthermore, despite the agreement among both women and men that collaboration is a key to success in technology, an hero culture sometimes exists where an individual is valued for being (and staying) an expert, while teamwork and knowledge-sharing are rarely rewarded. Problems such as feelings of isolation, lower salaries, less opportunities, and openly hostile colleagues persist in some workplaces. In my opinion, companies have an obligation to instill a culture of respect for all employees.
Advancement and Promotions
In the same study on women in technology mentioned above, barriers to advancement cause 56% of women in high-tech companies to leave at mid-career, usually at a high cost to these high-tech companies. The main barriers to advancement for mid-career technical women identified in the study are:
stereotyping
Women are sometimes pushed into support roles or non-technical work, or they are passed over for promotions because they are assumed to be family-focused or unwilling to travel.
old boy’s network, lack of role models and mentors
The old boy’s network where informal information is exchanged often do not allow women in. Furthermore, there is also a lack of role models and mentors and as a result, women often have a harder time finding their place in the industry.
work-life balance
Family-friendly policies can alleviate the issue of double burden for women. If quality childcare is available and if the culture moves towards involving fathers more in fathering, there would be a chance for work-life balance for both men and women.
company policies
Company policies and practices that appear to be gender-neutral or meritocratic are often created for “white upper-middle-class males” and are centered around men’s traditional role as sole breadwinners. This means that hiring, promotion, and evaluation practices often fail to take diversity into account, as the social phenomenon of desire to be surrounded by “people like me” (i.e.white males) cause women to be evaluated poorly compared to their male counterparts.
Also in this series:
References
