Communications of the ACM
Tech Workers Back Need For More Women in It but Oppose Quotas
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There are not enough women in the information technology industry, according to 77 percent of respondents to a survey of 336 IT professionals in the United Kingdom. However, 71 percent of the respondents oppose using quotas to boost the number of female employees in IT shops. Instead, many of the respondents said they prefer to inspire more women to pursue tech careers by better promoting successful women in the industry.
Women are not choosing a career in IT because of the perception that the industry is dominated by males and because it has a geeky image, respondents said. They also said women are least represented in engineering and security.
The BCSWomen group is among several organizations that are actively involved in the effort to address the shortfall, and founder Sue Black supports the use of quotas to increase the number of female IT workers. "To make a difference quickly though, I would argue for a quota or for getting organizations to work together to leverage capability, reach, and impact," Black says.
From TechRepublic
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