Why we still don’t attract women and girls interested in IT and what can be done about it in ten steps.
As a qualified computer science teacher and IT expert in the Microsoft 365 cloud development field, I have been in the IT industry for over 15 years. In schools as well as in my work, however, the same picture always shapes me: girls are less likely to enroll in elective subjects such as computer science, the share of female students in technical studies is still too low and in working as a woman you are usually a of the few in the IT team. This is especially true if you don’t include jobs in project management: “Core IT” remains a men’s club.
Is it due to a lack of training opportunities? At least for the example of Vienna, this cannot be the case: there are countless opportunities for further training in the field of universities and technical institutes, as well as courses, seminars and workshops on technical updating from various suppliers. Clubs like #thenewITgirls, programming activities like »Women and Code« and many other IT and STEM activities offer free or low-cost training opportunities for women.
The low percentage of women in IT is due to more complex reasons that can hardly be solved by individual initiatives. One lever, for example, is the way in which the contents of technical learning are conveyed. While there is no general recipe for good computer pedagogy, individual support, repeated subject examination, and a mix of learning methods are a good foundation. IT content should also be taught by pedagogically trained experts. But there are too few IT experienced women – and even fewer IT experienced women with pedagogical training.
In their educational situation, girls are trapped in a vicious circle of social, social and political obstacles. While mothers usually do most of the childcare, they are less present in the technical area and therefore are less of a role model for their children there. And when girls later decide in favor of a relevant type of school, they not only have fewer fellow students, but also fewer teachers teaching them the technical material.
Measures to get women excited about IT are also hardly reaching rural areas. The state of Lower Austria, for example, has a digitization strategy that also provides for the strengthening of rural areas. But there is no mention of explicit motivation to reach out to women and girls as part of the digitization strategy. A training course in Krems an der Donau is often up to 50 minutes by car to many locations in the northern Waldviertel and public transport is not reasonable. For these reasons, I’ve designed a ten-point plan with measures for training providers, which makes it easier for girls in particular, but also adult women, to make the leap into IT:
- Localization of educational measures – Part 1
There are many computer training courses and educational measures in urban areas, but hardly any in rural areas. If the measures are taken together with the state, even regions that are difficult to reach for individual suppliers can be developed. However, it works best together, in order to cooperatively learn from past digitization offensives. - Localization of educational measures – Part 2
Female role models must also be made visible outside metropolitan areas. Digitization measures should be open and friendly and include women not just as moderators or embellishments, but as experts and lecturers. Because where no woman is visible, they don’t feel wanted either. - Consider your interests and hobbies
Girls in particular often have wider interests than boys: they “can” dance, sing, play with dolls, but also build with Lego or computer games. However, if the projects are too tightly tailored to the role models, the girl can rule them out. In addition to Minecraft, Ninjago and Co., it is also important to take on female heroines of fan culture and not hesitate in projects such as digital drawing apps or »AI Barbie«. - The first impression counts
Schools in particular are struggling with budget problems, which can mean that outdated computer classrooms attract little interest among students. Investments can be made in new equipment with financial aid from grants or partners. If necessary, these can also be strategically placed individual pieces. Interesting pieces, like programmable robots or a Raspberry Pi in use at school, also grab attention. - Creative IT
People with different interests are less attracted to IT education if sample activities and projects come only from areas such as technology or math. Creative tasks in different contexts, on the other hand, are programming adventures instead of Fibonacci numbers, creating a forest nature app – the broader the topics, the better. In general, a strictly technical resume discourages creative minds and leads to one-sidedness and loneliness. The curricula must therefore also be enriched with social and creative didactic themes. - consider desired occupations
Girls’ dream jobs are very diverse, and IT in particular is versatile enough to reflect different career ideas. Workshops on ideas for digitization can therefore address a context of non-technical professions: what IT and apps does a vet need? How can IT support a restaurant business? What does it take to digitize a hairdresser? How does the care sector benefit from digitization? - IT Trainers: Offer relevant ads
When looking for the right IT education or training, many people use the Internet to find out early. The overall website should make a good impression, because the reputation as a reputable agency specializing in education is also examined. This should gather their target group with the right IT experience. Because children often like to play with computers, specialized schools could create a “Game Creator” app, for example, developed and managed internally or by partners. Or how about blog posts for parents about “best tablets for kids” or “trusted photo apps for Android and iPhone”? - The human factor in IT
The following applies to all ages: Specialized events can be a very small circle in which participants may already know each other or most of them have a solid understanding of the subject through proper previous training. Therefore, as many participants as possible should be brought along – through friend programs (woman-to-woman exchange), social events such as sporting, musical or culinary events. Because getting to know each other for the first time through the arduous IT argument can be a deterrent if you think you can’t resist face-to-face confrontation. - Updated online information
Schools in particular must also offer a particularly informative online open day – with a lot of interactivity, for example using 3D videos, exchanging with teachers and students or a live broadcast of events with online interaction. The following applies to all vendors: Always share information in a readable manner across multiple channels. It’s important to optimize websites for mobile viewing and avoid static PDFs. Equally useful is a logical structure with categories, photos and videos, information dedicated to teachers and students, testimonials and other topics. - Make the physical environment neutral and attractive
Last but not least, the physical environment in an IT educational institution should also be neutral and attractive. This means moving away from the typically “masculine” color scheme of blue and gray. Even when it comes to buildings, first impressions matter. Everyone should feel comfortable and wanted.
About the author
Anna Fritsch-Weninger is a cloud solutions expert and cloud developer at ACP IT Solutions. She studied combined teaching in computer science and information management and English at the Vienna University of Technology and the University of Vienna. Her goal is to provide people and organizations with the best possible support in digitization through her IT experience and pedagogical training, particularly in advancing women in IT.
