International Girls In ICT Day 2021
April 22, 2021, marks the annual Girls in ICT Day, this is a great opportunity to discuss how we can get young women involved in careers in technology. At Qhala, we support the Girls in ICT Day with the aim of inspiring girls and women to consider studying science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM); and consider a career in technology at this critical time.
This is an important initiative to help promote technology-focused career opportunities for girls and women in the world’s fastest-growing sector. And there’s never been a more important time to engage and inspire the next generation of female technologists, than now.
According to UNESCO, 7 million people work in the ICT sector but only 30% are women. Not only this, only 6% of CEOs at the top 100 global technology companies are women. Women in Europe hold only 11.2% of leadership roles in the tech world. UNESCO shows that a market of up to USD 50–70 billion will open up in the ICT sector if gender equality is achieved. This means more women and girls need to be encouraged to go into ICT.
Today there still remains a notion that IT is a “man’s job”. Women thinking of applying are often dissuaded as they may lack the confidence needed at the very start to pursue this career path. Yet, not only is this job market growing, but these jobs pay higher than other industries. We must do what we can to encourage young women to be fearless and pursue these fields of study, because they add new perspectives in the workplace that benefit business outcomes.
Women must feel that they can succeed in an IT career right from their first job. The NCWIT report said women leave technology careers at a much higher rate than men, and this could be because they lack inspiration from leadership. 40 percent of women in technical positions reported lacking role models, while nearly half reported lacking mentors. We need to give guidance and support right from when young women first enter higher education, to make them aware of the opportunities in IT and cybersecurity, and adequately prepare them for their careers.
Why should girls go into ICT?
There are numerous job opportunities in the ICTs. The sector gives room for a wide range of ICT talents due to the number of job seekers possessing the required technical skills and the digital skills needed by employers. What this means is that women who are highly qualified in technical fields have a notable number of opportunities available to them.
Furthermore, ICT companies realise that workforce diversity is good for business and as such are working to attract and promote women. The ICT sector is male-dominated, particularly at senior levels. The companies and organisations are therefore working towards increasing the number of women represented in the sector because when there are more women at the top, financial performance is positively impacted.
By going into ICT and supporting the education of women and girls in ICT, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is being supported. Particularly, SDG 5 seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls through, among other domains ICTs. Jobs in the tech sector not only lift women out of poverty but creates a gender-balanced sector that provides more fulfilment at the mid and high level of their careers.
Importantly, technology is the language of the future. Therefore, a background in technology enables girls and women to have a role in developing the future. Technology is not restricted to engineers but cuts across various backgrounds from professions such as economics, health, philosophy and production which broadens its applicability.
Myths surrounding girls in ICT
The tech environment is not conducive or appealing to women:
While truly the tech sector isn’t as appealing to women as it should be, ICT is an exciting, well rewarded, respected career option and is highly lucrative. More women are needed in the sector to change the tech’s culture and image.
You can’t pursue a career in ICT without having a tech degree:
A lot of digital career options do not require a STEM degree. Many companies just generally look out for people who genuinely want to succeed, have a desire to learn, and possess transferable skills. This means that online courses or a coding club can make a whole world of difference in starting a career in ICT.
There’s no career progression so you’ll likely be stuck with writing codes:
Working in ICT doesn’t always equate to working for a tech company. Every sector incorporates technology in all aspects of business today which means there are wide roles and numerous opportunities.
You can’t have a family life, social life and balance a successful tech career:
The truth is that every career requires compromise and finding a suitable work/life balance meaning that a career in ICT isn’t different. With good time management skills, positive mindset, and determination, the right balance will be created.
How to encourage girls to go into ICT
1. Girls can be encouraged to go into ICT by creating events and seminars that are specifically designed to inspire girls to pursue their dream of becoming an ICT professional and encourage careers in ICT fields. This involves a fusion of classroom learning, hands-on experience, and interactions with females in the ICT sector to assure girls of the opportunities inherent in the sector.
2. Teachers also need to take girls on a journey through the digital world from Word to Excel to coding and so on so they can know about the vastness of the sector. This will assure girls that they will not be confined. Furthermore, the use of contexts that can be found in the real world should be encouraged. This means getting girls’ hands-on things that can be replicated in real life such as creating films, creating vlogs, and so on.
3. Another way to encourage girls to go into ICT is to create school clubs in societies that are designed to encourage girls to engage actively in IT. It also allows them to develop their tech skills by partaking in challenges specifically tailored to their interests such as sports, dance, and music. This will have an impact on their confidence and self-esteem.
4. Lastly, ICT education needs to be started early. This means starting from elementary school and putting other noted factors in place to sustain interest into adulthood.
This is where we can play a role. We can inspire young women and show them the opportunities that a job in ICT can bring.
Qhala has an enduring commitment to encourage, inspire and empower students of all backgrounds to build careers in ICT. We also hope they consider opting for science, technology, engineering, and mathematic academic pathways.
Our CEO, Dr. Shikoh Gitau, has mentored many young women in technology and says she is ready to support more girls as the results are goal-oriented. She opines that mentorship is key in this area. “We must create opportunities where we allow young people to listen and pick a connection point so that they make a choice on the next level. We need to raise awareness that women can undertake courses in computer science. This is one way for young women to grow.”
What will you be doing to encourage young women to pursue a career in IT? Tweet us at @QhalaHQ using the hashtag #GirlsinICT.
