Gender equality in the Information Technology (IT) sector

Back in 1992, the number of women earning degrees in the information technology sector was a mere 20 percent. By 2002, this number had increased a bit, although still not equal to the number of men pursuing the same degree. In 2004, the number dropped to below 20 percent and remains at a very low level today. The process of reaching gender equality in the information technology sector is a slow one indeed.

Although there have been major improvements in gender distribution throughout most of the world and in most job industries, there is still room for improvement. Earlier hopes that the industry found its balance between the typical men and women's jobs have been unfounded. There have been multiple studies done in the past and many reports filed that show there are currently fewer women in the information technology industry than men in some areas of the industry. Among these women, there are fewer holding higher paying or higher powered jobs as well.

While this may not be true in all areas of the world, there are many countries where gender equality is simply not a priority. Predictions have been made about the information age with regards to more flexible work organizations and equal employment opportunities. Again, while these organizations have significantly helped in many areas, some are simply not as updated as others are.

Female participation with regards to sharing the same jobs with men in the information technology industry is still well under 50 percent. In nearly half of the different occupational roles, women share less than 10 percent of the overall jobs. In others, women make up nearly 50 percent. It typically depends on the specific job in question as to whether women are hired and treated equally.

Those jobs that did have female participation at less than 10 percent were typically higher paid, including many senior positions in major firms. Support engineer roles, involving repair and installation of computer systems, typically see a higher percentage of women applicants and workers.

Many occupations in which women held approximately 40 percent of jobs are technical support positions. These jobs are typically considered to be "men's work" as they are very hands-on and technical. Those women who were shown to work in the technical fields typically showed more management positions than in other fields. Lower levels of careers in the information technology industry also showed an increased number of women workers. Technical support centers and specialized centers typically have more women team leaders than other sectors within this industry. Women who earn their engineering degree and climb to the top of the ladder in this career typically see an equal pay range as those men holding the same qualifications. There is however, a markedly low number of women who climb the career ladder in this industry.

Overall, the information technology sector seems to still be male dominated. Those jobs within the industry that focus on technical support and testing typically see more women workers.