Women in Tech: Be proud or be loud?

March 8th is the International Women's Day. Is this a reason to celebrate? For Marval, it certainly is.

The ICT industry has a lot to be proud of. From automation to mobility and social collaboration, our industry has introduced some of the greatest innovations of the past two centuries. Revolutionary technologies have redefined the way people learn, work, communicate, collaborate and engage with each other. People use technological tools to connect with family members, colleagues or business partners across the world. Technology has eliminated the gap between continents and time zones and brought us closer than ever before.

Our forward-thinking approach, however, has not touched the gender gap. Women’s penetration in the ICT workforce is not something we can brag about. Women are under-represented in the ICT industry all over the globe. In Europe, women constitute just 18% of the ICT workforce against 82% of men. The UK is slightly below the European average, with only 17% of the workforce being female. Just compare this figure with the 46% of female workforce in non-ICT industries! (*)

While women’s representation in our industry is not something we can shout out about, it is not something we should keep quiet about, either. If we wish to change this disappointing fact and motivate young girls to consider a career in our industry, we have to start working on it – and fast.

At Marval Software, we are on board. With 33% of our workforce being female, we are well above the national average already. Our female workforce consists of smart, accomplished professionals who enrich our operations with their experience, ideas, sensitivity and passion.

And we are committed to infusing our passion to the next generation. In 2017, we plan to work closely with schools in our area, to raise awareness about careers in ICT. Members of our development team (female, of course), will be engaging with female students from across the county to answer questions they may have about working in this challenging, yet rewarding field. Our core focus will be on presenting the benefits (and there are many, indeed):

• Working in ICT means you get your hands on the latest (and coolest) technologies. Whether in consumer products or in business-related solutions, we really make an impact to people’s lives; their health, their education, their safety, their mobility, their entertainment and much more.
• The gender wage gap in our industry is actually 0%. Women joining the ICT industry should expect to be paid as well and as fairly as their male colleagues. Few industries can boast the same!

• An increase in women’s representation would make a huge positive difference in the economy as well. If more women joined the ICT sector, the European GDP could be increased by 9 billion euros per year!
• More than ever before, this industry needs a boost. It is estimated that by 2020, there will be a gap of 800,000 jobs which require ICT knowledge in Europe alone, but not enough skillful professionals to fill those positions. Young ladies, what are you waiting for?

(*) Source: Eurostat