IT's vanishing women

  • 7 August 2014
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Comment: Interesting question why women are not attracted to IT professions???
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By Lynne Y. WilliamsJuly 30, 2014 08:04 AM ET Computerworld - IT is a growing profession, and one that requires skills that women not only possess but oftentimes excel at. And yet women remain a distinct minority within the profession. Why is that, and how can it be changed?
Computing should be an attractive field of study for anyone. Nonetheless, although recent Bureau of Labor Statistics findings show that computing-related jobs are growing at a rate almost double that of all other fields, fewer students are enrolling in computing majors. That trend led the BLS a few years ago to project that by 2018 approximately half of all jobs requiring extensive computing expertise will go begging for lack of qualified IT professionals ComputerWorld/ Full Article Here/ http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9250053/IT_s_vanishing_women

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I'm surprised - I would have thought the gender ratio was getting better, not worse.
@ wrote:
I'm surprised - I would have thought the gender ratio was getting better, not worse.
Nic, I agree. However, IT will always be a male-dominated field. The same issue is true of all the sciences, computer and otherwise. It goes back to the bigotry that has been prevelant for hundreds of years. It will take a long time to break that much engrained belief. 
Userlevel 7
@ wrote:
@ wrote:
I'm surprised - I would have thought the gender ratio was getting better, not worse.
Nic, I agree. However, IT will always be a male-dominated field. The same issue is true of all the sciences, computer and otherwise. It goes back to the bigotry that has been prevelant for hundreds of years. It will take a long time to break that much engrained belief. 
This is unfortunately very true!
 
The statistics have not changed all that much since the 80's. It is sad and it is partially due to  some women themselves.
 
As long as there are women and men who  believe that these fields are more geared for men they will continue to pass that value to the next generation.  There are so many women that believe that and therefore by choice choose not to pursue that avenue.  That does not help those of us women who have chosen to pursue a career in IT either.
 
Thank you for posting the article Antus67!
I find real value in the women in IT. At a previous job, my president and managing director, and directo report was a woman. Also, our helpdeks/project manager was a woman. While my boss was no really IT, she did do some IT work and managed a ton of IT people. By a ton, I mean a half dozen of us or so. She is amazing, as is the person who is the project/helpdesk manager. 
 
From a purely man's perspective, the other reason more ladies in IT is nice is because it gives us a few more prospectives who aren't mostly clueless when we talk shop. LOL That sounds awful but it's true! 
 
Thanks, 

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