We need more women in the IT sector

By Shweta Arora

The Information technology (IT) industry is rapidly evolving. It has significantly impacted the way we perform our jobs and how we communicate with others around the world. Furthermore, developing and developed countries rely on IT industries to ensure expeditious progress. Businesses and organisations also depend on the field for enhanced productivity.

The sector is surely booming. But, a question that is often raised is, “Why aren’t there more women in the IT industry?” The reality is women are still belittled in the technology sector, are underpaid and often not passed for promotions. A possible reason why more girls don’t pursue this field during higher education could be ‘pinkification’ which is done at an early age. Even today, job possibilities are marketed by gender despite recent developments on breaking these historic trends.

How can the devices women use and the programmes they create for everyone not involve them in its production? It is believed that women make up half the world, so it’s only reasonable if they make up half of the workspace too.

Expertise in e-commerce, digital marketing, social media strategy and IT infrastructure are all essential to the technological ecosystem. And, women can’t be ignored or left behind in these. Inspiring a new generation of women to learn these new skills is the need of the hour. We need more female entrepreneurs to come up with unique solutions to new problems.

I would also like to mention a few women who have been inspiring us since decades:

1.       Rekha Menon- Chairman and Senior Managing Director at Accenture in India.

2.       Vanitha Narayanan- Managing Director for IBM India Private Limited.

3.       Aruna Jayanthi- CEO of an outsourcing company called Capgemini.

4.       Neelam Dhawan-  She is an icon for aspiring women in the Information Technology business. She was the Former Managing Director at Hewlett-Packard Globalsoft Pvt Ltd

5.       Kavery Kalanithi – She is Executive Director at Sun TV Network Ltd and is one of the highest-paid CEOs in India.

Therefore, we expect more women CEOs to come up and showcase their leadership skills. This not only brings diversity to the workforce but also increases innovation and creativity.