Benefits and Challenges of Women in Technology
7 April 2021
Nowadays, women are underrepresented in fields where employment is rising, like the engineering and information and communications technology (ICT) sections. In the last year, the demand for digital profiles has increased by nearly 40%. The supply of available digital profiles has only increased by 7.6%. Hence, there are many initiatives for generating the so-called STEM vocations (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) to ensure new generations select this sector as their only option for the future.
However, the technology sector is more challenging due to its diversity. The technology sector, a tractor of the economy and wealth of a country, is masculinized. Women are 15% less likely than men to become managers and professionals, and 19% of them are more likely to occupy more routine administrative and service functions.
Challenges of Women in Tech
The gender gap is one of the challenges women who study or work in the technological field face. Research shows that gender inequalities exist in the training and work trajectories, and 14% of women against 40% of men have admission in STEM courses. For this reason, the numbers of women who register as students in the technological university system have become very few. It also reflects on their job positions when they are trying to access and promote themselves. Most women in this position face a barrier relative to gender stereotypes, such as the masculinized environment, which causes an imbalance between personal and professional life and a difference in women's capabilities between men and women.
Making Use of Digital Tools
The use of technological accessories by college students is one of the prevalent changes ever experienced in education. These accessories help students stay focused and energized for class. Without these accessories, distanced and online learning will not be possible. In education, they help students learn better and also aid effective teaching. These devices range from laptops, printers, Bluetooth speakers, portable hard drives, battery packs, smartphones, Bluetooth headsets, Raspberry Pi accessories, and many others.
The creation of Raspberry Pi is for the dissemination of knowledge about electronics and programming. The Raspberry Pi is helpful for any student that wants to learn to program. It needs a small amount to have access to a complete library of free and open software to learn to program in practically any language they need, especially in Python.
A Small Number of Female Role Models
Another challenging factor women face in the technological field is the small number of women in this field. This was the case for the longest time, luckily, things are slowly changing. If women have an interest in technology, it will inspire and motivate the new generations to follow their steps. As a result, there would be many more students than in primary and secondary schools who would want to study technology. They would see the sector as a transforming sector and generating value in a society that needs to transform and become increasingly sustainable where technology plays an important role.
The gender salary gap and the exclusion of women in the field of ICT is another factor. Women lack the opportunities in automation, motor vehicle, electricity, ship, and aircraft engineering due to the role of women in the workplace is only related to education, the humanities, the arts, and the social sciences, denying them the possibility of exploiting their abilities to enter the productive sectors. Yet, some factors make the role or inclusion of women in the technological field essential.
Benefits of Women in Tech
Historically, several women marked crucial milestones in the world of programming. There is a need to emphasize the importance of women in technology. Women help improve technical innovation. The inclusion of women in the technological fields helps reduce inequalities. It can achieve a higher rate of productivity and innovation. The fastest growing and high-paying jobs are those associated with technology. Women need to develop skills in this regard, whether to work as Data Scientist, eCommerce Specialists, UX Designer, Web Programmer, or Mobile App Developer, Entrepreneurs in technology, and so on.
If women want to keep developing their professional skills and abilities in these respected fields, they might want to either join extra training or seek online help. For instance, women interested in entrepreneurship should search for the best LinkedIn groups every entrepreneur should join. In these virtual places, they will get the opportunity to connect with like-minded women and share both experiences and challenges about their careers.
It also reduces the deficit of professionals. One of the main problems in the tech industry is the shortage of professionals. Hence, programmers, data scientists, and the likes have higher salaries compared to traditional colleagues. Women help in sociability and perfection. Generally, women are more social and the demand for them in the technology sector keeps growing. Women use social networks more, interact with more brands, consume more information, and use mobile phones more.
Final words
In summary, companies should balance the proportion of women in managerial and representative staff positions. Since many women prefer staying with their children, companies should create opportunities of working for firms at home, from other parts of the world. The industry should also take measures to make job accessibilities and promotions in the technology sector.
