Women in IT Project : Survey Results

Abstract

Increasing the proportion of women in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector could help rectify the labor shortage and improve gender equality. To identify the factors attracting personnel to this sector, a survey was administered to a group of female master’s students studying information technology. This paper presents the results of the survey, which dealt with the students’ perceptions of and experiences with work in the ICT sector. About half of the respondents were already working in the sector, and others were hoping to enter it. Since some of the respondents were changing careers, we had an opportunity to discover why an ICT education was not chosen in the first place. The results showed that potential female ICT students may be lost when they are not given enough information and encouraged at a young age. The respondents valued the possibility of working remotely and expected opportunities to do so in the ICT sector. They viewed health and well-being, and education as the most compelling reasons for pursuing ICT work.