Deloitte predicts that large global technology organizations, on average, will reach nearly 33% of female representation in their workforces in 2022, up just over two percentage points from 2019
However, women are still vastly underrepresented in IT professional and leadership roles across the globe, with only 12% holding these types of positions.
The benefit of women in technology is clear. According to a study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), increasing the diversity of leadership teams leads to more and better innovation as well as improved financial performance. But, despite an increased focus from governments and technology companies to encourage more women of secondary school age to take computer science, progress is slow. In the UK, the number of girls choosing to take GCSE computer science fell to 16,549 in 2021. Whereas in France, boys and men are more than twice as likely to graduate high school in STEM subjects than girls and women.
While the main focus has been on influencing girls at a secondary school level, this is arguably too late. Girls start to learn gender bias as young as three or four years, then by the time they get to primary school, they’re already changing their behavior to conform to pressure from gender stereotypes.
Impact of gender bias
Gender bias typically encourages boys to be more adventurous and technical and girls to be more careful and creative. These are often formed as a result of the toys they play with, the books they read and the TV shows they watch, as well as influence from adult role models. Together these influences reinforce gender stereotypes in a subtle and nuanced way, encouraging girls to think that some activities are for boys and some are for girls.
Continue reading: https://technative.io/why-targeting-secondary-schools-is-too-late-to-encourage-more-women-in-tech/
However, women are still vastly underrepresented in IT professional and leadership roles across the globe, with only 12% holding these types of positions.
The benefit of women in technology is clear. According to a study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), increasing the diversity of leadership teams leads to more and better innovation as well as improved financial performance. But, despite an increased focus from governments and technology companies to encourage more women of secondary school age to take computer science, progress is slow. In the UK, the number of girls choosing to take GCSE computer science fell to 16,549 in 2021. Whereas in France, boys and men are more than twice as likely to graduate high school in STEM subjects than girls and women.
While the main focus has been on influencing girls at a secondary school level, this is arguably too late. Girls start to learn gender bias as young as three or four years, then by the time they get to primary school, they’re already changing their behavior to conform to pressure from gender stereotypes.
Impact of gender bias
Gender bias typically encourages boys to be more adventurous and technical and girls to be more careful and creative. These are often formed as a result of the toys they play with, the books they read and the TV shows they watch, as well as influence from adult role models. Together these influences reinforce gender stereotypes in a subtle and nuanced way, encouraging girls to think that some activities are for boys and some are for girls.
Continue reading: https://technative.io/why-targeting-secondary-schools-is-too-late-to-encourage-more-women-in-tech/
