The 28th of April marks International Girls in ICT Day, which aims to inspire a global movement to increase the representation of girls and women in technology. The jobs of the future will undoubtedly be driven by technology, with Australia’s technology workforce forecast to exceed 1.1 million Australians over the next five years – more than four times faster than the broader labour force numbers. 

Diverse companies are more likely to report growth, perform better, and have an increased competitive edge in addressing market needs. However, research suggests that ICTs lack of female representation could cost the economy $11 billion over the next two decades, unless we accelerate towards gender parity.   

This year’s theme “Access and Safety”, serves as a reminder that there needs to be a global focus on providing young females with access ICT education and tools that encourages them to enter into the industry. And once there, reduce the biases that many women experience in these often male-dominated industries, so they feel safe and respected in the workplace. 

Here, we share some statistics that provide an overview of the current state of the global and national ICT workforce, revealing the areas where gender parity is falling short.   

ICT education and industry perceptions 

Knowledge about occupations and industries typically begins at a young age through either education or being encouraged by mentors or role models. However, for the majority of females within the ICT industry, the onus is often on individuals to forge their own careers. 

• Currently, 44% of women learn about a role in IT or technology through their own research – this is the most common pathway. 
• 33% of women were encouraged to find a role in IT or technology at the education stage, thanks to their school, college or university. 
• Only 19% of women were encouraged to find a technology or IT role through female role models in their communities.

Furthermore, the lack of female representation in the technology industry makes 38% of women wary about entering into the sector. 

Women in ICT global data 

While women’s participation in ICT has indeed grown, there’s still a significant underrepresentation of women within this sector globally, which will only serve to reinforce women’s social inequalities and marginalisation amid the digital divide. 

To ensure that no one is left behind in this emerging technological landscape, the public and private sectors have important roles to play in implementing policies and innovative solutions to overcome entrenched norms and improve gender equality in the technology industry. 

• Only 24% of computing jobs in the world are held by women. 
• In the last 21 years, the number of female software engineers has increased by just 2%. 
• The turnover rate is more than twice as high for women as for men in tech industry jobs. 
• One-in-three women say they experience gender bias at work. 
• 50% of women in tech leave their jobs by the age of 35. 
• In 2019, only 2.8% of global venture capital funding went to women-led start-ups; in 2020, that dropped to 2.3%. 

Women in ICT Australian data 

Unfortunately, the statistics for the Australian ICT sector is relatively on-par with the underrepresentation seen worldwide. 

• Women made up just 29% of all ICT occupations in Australia in 2020. 
• As of 2018, there was an average pay gap of around 18% across all ICT occupations between men and women. 
• Despite women making up over half of Australia’s tertiary graduates, they account for just one fifth of IT graduates. 

The effect of COVID-19 on women in ICT 

The pandemic has caused seismic changes to how and where people work, and 95% of women working in technology have worked at home at least part-time since March 2020. Surveys indicate that during this time, women have either felt a shift in mindset or attitudes among their employers. And more specifically since lockdown, the move to working from home has helped women feel more autonomous in their roles – improving both their confidence and career prospects. 

However, the outlook isn’t entirely positive and there’s still much more to be done. 

• 53% of women agree that the number of women in senior IT or technology roles in their organisation has increased over the past two years. 
• More than two thirds (69%) of women working in technology or IT agreed they were now more confident that their opinion would be respected. 
• 47% of women believe the effects of COVID-19 have delayed their career progression. 

Professional development and career progression 

The lack of senior and leadership opportunities for women in ICT are complex and multifaceted and include factors such as taking time out of the workforce to start a family. However, the pervasive biases within this male-dominated sector also play a large, whether these are conscious or unconscious. 

• 28% of women leaving tech jobs cite a lack of career growth opportunities as the reason. 
• 44% of women believe that men progress faster than them in their organisation. 
• Only one quarter of tech conference keynotes in the last three years were delivered by women. 
• Of the 41 Fortune 500 companies in the technology sector, only five have female CEOs. 
• 20.4% of women in tech over the age of 35 remain in junior-level positions compared to just 5.9% of men over the age of 35. 

Why we need to encourage more women into ICT 

The jobs of the future will be driven by technology and innovation, with Australia’s technology workforce predicted to grow to over 1.1 million over the next 5 years – more than four times faster than the broader labour force numbers. 

Those companies that strive to achieve greater gender diversity are more likely to report growth, perform better, and have an increased competitive edge in addressing market needs. Lived experience counts, and with half the world’s population consisting of women, it’s poignant for organisations to involve women in the creation of technology, to gain better insight into this market. 

Alongside implementing blind hiring practices that help remove personal biases from the talent acquisition process, organisations can better support the advancement of women in technical roles by providing them with opportunities to build a wide array of skills, along with structured guidance on their professional development. It’s also important for women in technical roles to join high-visibility projects where they can develop their skills on the job, and become noticed for doing so. 

If you’re looking for talent within the ICT sector, choose an employment partner that prioritises diversity and inclusion, and contact Bayside Group today.