It is a known fact that women are generally underrepresented in the ICT sector. A recent survey showed that men were more likely to be given jobs in the tech world than women. Further investigations showed that employers did not trust women enough to give them the responsibility of handling tech issues, even when the woman had more qualifications and certifications.
It is obviously due to natural bias. Some feel the ICT sector is “A man’s Job” and not a Lady’s. Girls are being left out of the conversation when it comes to technology! Forgetting that some of the greatest tech inventions were made by women, from Ada Lovelace, the world’s first computer programmer to Ida Rhodes who designed the first computers to run the Census and Social Security; to Margaret Hamilton who wrote the software that put Apollo 11 on the moon and many others.
Women themselves are led to think that women in tech or Engineering or unattractive, boring, geeky and antisocial people. And they’re never given a chance to correct those perceptions.
By 2020, jobs in computer science are expected to grow nearly two times faster. Women hold only about 20% of all tech jobs. The fact that women represent such a small portion of the tech workforce should be a wakeup call. Men have no special skills that enable them to run technology companies. So the only way we’re going to fix these perceptions is by giving everyone a chance to learn computer science.
Recommendations for Action
To address the gender gap in the ICT sector in Nigeria, the outline brief below need to be considered:
- It is important to investigate the underlying factors that contribute to this disparity. Providing opportunities for education and training, awareness campaigns, mentoring programs, and policies that promote equity can be effective ways to promote diversity in the field.
- One key strategy is to encourage young girls to take an interest in STEM subjects and provide them with the necessary tools and resources to pursue careers in the ICT sector. Organizations can also work to improve workplace culture, eliminate bias, and create an inclusive work environment.
- Employers in the ICT sector can take proactive measures by hiring more female employees, providing equal opportunities for promotion and salary increases, and implementing flexible work arrangements that accommodate the needs of both men and women.
- Making Computer Science compulsory in all secondary schools will go a long way in opening the eyes of Nigerian women.
- Overall, creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce in the ICT sector can lead to better problem-solving, innovation, and overall success for the industry and the country.
Therefore, we at IIHT Skills Training Institute encourages all women who are interested in ICT programs to register at our centre and they can be sure they will get all they need to succeed in the ICT world.
