Karen Hautala-Hili from the Malta Information Technology Agency laments about the lack of women in the Maltese ICT sector, saying that increased participation in the ditigal world would not only benefit women themselves but the industry and the European economy.

Two centuries ago, Ada Lovelace, the daughter of famed poet Lord Byron, was a pioneer in computing and wrote the first published program. Her mother fought against societal stereotypes and insisted that her daughter receive the same high-quality education in maths and science as her male peers.

During that era, there were no places for females in the UK’s universities and Ada was educated with the help of private tutors. Her perseverance led to her triumphs in the information and communications technology field and also made her a role model in the field for centuries to come.

Since then, the world has seen some prominent women in the ICT sector like Grace Hopper, who coined the term ‘debugging’ that led to creation of the Cobol programming language, Marissa Mayer, president and CEO of Yahoo!, and Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook. However, despite the achievements of these positive female role models, the gender gap in the ICT sector continues to widen significantly.

On a local level, in 2014 only 28 per cent of graduates from the Faculty of ICT at the University of Malta were female, while in 2013 it was 19 per cent. On a European level, the number of female ICT graduates has slowed down to circa 20 per cent over the last decade. It is estimated that by 2020, 90 per cent of jobs in all sectors will require digital skills. Organisations thus face the daunting task of finding the right talent amid dwindling numbers of computing graduates.

Men and women use computers and technology at similar rates, but the gender gap persists. Many believe that the problems stem from an ingrained bias and societal stereotypes against females working in ‘unfeminine’ technology jobs. Not enough is being done to counter these stereotypes from an early age at schools and at home due to many factors, including lack of practical information and awareness about ICT studies and careers.

The take-up of ICT studies and careers by females needs a boost, starting in primary school if we are to transform Malta into a knowledge economy. Matsec data from 2012 and 2013 reveals that only around 22 per cent of students who sat for the computing/computers exam were female. Over the past few years, stakeholders and decision-makers in the local ICT sector have issued a call to action in the primary and secondary sectors of the educational system to address the situation.

Men and women use computers and technology at similar rates, but the gender gap persists

At a professional level, female ICT graduates enter the sector already at a disadvantage because less than 30 per cent of their peers are female. Lately, many senior managers in the Maltese ICT industry have spoken out in favour of women taking a more prominent role in the workplace.

The image of the ICT sector among females must be renewed and societal stereotypes about women’s roles must be broken. A variety of profiles of successful women across the ICT career spectrum may attract more girls to consider a career into ICT. Advantages of working in the sector, such as flexibility and higher wages, should also be promoted.

The Malta Information Technology Agency (Mita) continues to address this imbalance through various initiatives such as the Stem (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) Club, the National Coding Competition, Girls’ in ICT Day and other outreach activities.

This year Mita took part in the Business and Professional Women’s Careers Day under the auspices of President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca. Over 80 professional women from various sectors networked and shared their professional experiences with hundreds of Form 4 girls. A female solutions architect and a female senior programme developer from Mita spoke to the girls about their work, the ICT field in general and the qualifications needed to pursue a career in ICT.

Getting more girls interested in ICT studies and getting more women in ICT jobs would not only benefit the women themselves, but also the industry and the European economy. It is estimated that the European GDP could be boosted by around €9 billion (1.3 times Malta’s GDP) annually if the trend changes and more women held digital jobs.

More prominence across the Maltese media and social networks should be dedicated to females in decision-making and leadership positions in the local industry. Many might think that technology is cold and uncaring, yet when we see it applied in the healthcare sector, for example, it has the power to save lives. The opportunities for a rewarding career through the development or application of technology are numerous and span across all industries.

Career opportunities in ICT should be encouraged and not seen as ‘boyish’. Society is doing girls and women a disservice if their potential is limited and they are not introduced to the range of career possibilities available to them.

In honour of International Women’s Day, let’s make a commitment to help young females and to promote gender equality in all sectors of society.

• Karen Hautala-Hili is project leader, Digital Outreach Unit, at Mita. For more information, visit http://mita.gov.mt/outreach .

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