Most girls in ICT: Essential for the future of work – opinion

By Nuno Ferro

Promoting women’s participation in technical areas is one of the biggest challenges today and at the same time, one of the greatest opportunities to ensure more comprehensive, innovative and elastic technology. It is imperative to reduce gender trench (ICT) in information and communication technologies (ICT) in order to expand and change the needs of digital transformation skills, to expand access to accessable talent bases and to ensure that women are not lagging behind by technical progress.

There is no possibility of reality doubt, and women are underestimated in ICT areas. According to data from McCinse & Company in 2023, the female presence in technical companies did not exceed 40%. In addition, according to data collected by the Web Summit by 2024, it is believed that more than half of the industry is not enough to deal with this inequality. The Managya Group Group Data strengthens this message: 68% of technical companies claim that their gender equality goals are or are close, but this value is actually 72%. However, some positive signs are expected from the perspective for two years, as the projection of these owners must reach 76%. In this sense, it is important to see that women in technology do not have obstacles to women, explaining, executing and monitoring concrete strategies.

The risk of pronouncing inequalities with the progression of technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) is more evident. According to a recent study of Harvard Business School, women are usually adopting a lower AI tools rate than men – which can increase gender inequalities in access to opportunities. At the same time, the Code First Girls’ study said that the positions of women occupied by women are also increasing the automation.

Ignoring this reality is to compromise the competitiveness and innovations of companies. The diversity is an important engine to solve complex problems, develop comprehensive products and create more elastic groups. Promoting the existence of girls and women in the ICT is more than the subject of justice – it is essential to judge a more productive, profitable and steady future for companies.

Although it prescribes the challenge, AI can also be seen as an opportunity to promote equality. Of course, this tool helps to make the selection process more equally. According to the Global Insights Study of the experiment, 66% of companies highlight that companies benefit from AI recruitment processes and eliminate the unconscious bias in selection processes, eliminating subjective factors such as style, source or ethnicity. It is still important to consider moral questions in the development of algorithms, in fact, if there is no bias in the learning model and fulfill all the moral needs. It is also important to review the choice methods to identify the obstacles that are possible to include women in technical positions.

But beyond the recruitment moment, it is to face stereotypes in this field during workers’ work. It is important to bet on assessments for appointment and promotion for this, providing comfortable work patterns that allow balance between personal and professional responsibilities, creating environments that are equally encouraging, and to ensure the active support of senior leaders in technology.

Due to the current shortage of world talent, it is especially recognized in the field of technology, attracting a different working force and retaining business, women are playing a very important role in the future of work. In this case, ICT owners who know how to raise their talents will take advantage of a steady competition.