WOMEN IN ICT (BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION)

Women in ICT (Barriers to participation)

women in ICT (Barriers to participation)

Introduction

Not only is the low participation of women in ICT a problem for women, but also for the industry and the country. A country cannot compete in an increasingly global ICT market if half of its talented citizens are not participating. It is important that women should be in the position to influence and direct the ICT sector, which constitutes a central directive force in social development and economic growth.

Aims and Objectives

Specific objectives that need to be met by the study are:

To develop a better understanding of the specific needs of the ICT research community to attract more women;

To undertake preliminary research to assess why some ICT-related interventions have been more successful than others and to capture the best practices that could be replicated from other disciplines and countries;

To develop a strategy for innovative interventions that will significantly increase the interest and participation of women at all levels of ICT research and innovation, including in the private sector;

To develop an implementation plan for increasing the number of young women entering the ICT sector, both as researchers and as entrepreneurs; and

To develop and strengthen the research networking between institutions in South Africa and Europe.

Discussion

Continued exclusion of women from ICTs implies that women will have few opportunities to influence the ways in which these technologies develop and affect their lives. Moreover, the ICT industry is losing the talent of skilled women who can bring to it a richness and diversity of thought and perspective and can help alleviate the shortage of skills, which is exacerbated by their lack of participation. Without women as an integral part of the workforce, the ICT industry is bereft of many potential contributors to the formulation of government and research policy ...