Communications of the ACM
Lack of Women in Ict Sector Costs Europe 9bn Euros a Year
A new report says the dearth of women in ICT roles at tech firms in Europe costs the European economy 9 billion euros a year.
Credit: V3.co.uk
The European economy is losing out on 9 billion euros annually because women fill few information and communications technology (ICT) roles at tech firms, according to a report from the European Commission (EC). The figure is based on the assumption that if employment of women in ICT rose by 115,000, an average of 78,000 euros per female worker would be generated in increased productivity.
In the report, the EC argues that more women would improve performance for companies. The EC claims that ICT firms with women holding higher positions "achieve a 35-percent-higher return on equity and 34-percent-better total return to shareholders" when compared with other firms.
The report noted that only 29 in every 1,000 women with degrees in the European Union have a specialization in ICT, compared with 95 for men. Moreover, only four in 1,000 women will work in the sector, and they are far more likely to leave ICT mid-career.
"We know now, beyond doubt, that more women in a business mean a healthier business," says the EC's Neelie Kroes. "It is high time the IT sector realized this and allowed women a chance to help the sector and Europe's economy benefit from their enormous potential."
From V3.co.uk
View Full Article
Abstracts Copyright © 2013 Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA
No entries found