Women in IT say they struggle to further their careers and that workplaces could do more to achieve gender equality.
Nearly three-fourths of women in IT said they work longer hours to improve their chances of career advancement, due in part to gender bias and discrimination.
Cyber and data protection company Acronis commissioned the survey by a third-party vendor, which sampled 327 full-time female employees in the U.S., U.K., Spain, and Switzerland. According to the survey results, 71% of respondents said they work longer hours in hopes of more quickly advancing their careers, and 70% said men in IT were likely to advance their careers or receive promotions more quickly than women. Almost two-thirds said their workplaces are not doing enough to promote or achieve gender equality, according to Acronis.
Several respondents pointed to a lack of female leadership as another issue in the IT industry. Some 63% of women in the tech/IT industry reported they feel there is a lack of female leadership in cybersecurity, and 84% of women employed in IT said that tech organizations would benefit from more women in leadership roles, according to Acronis.
“In order to advance gender equality in the tech industry, we must recognize that encouraging women into taking IT roles is not just a moral imperative, but a strategic advantage that presents unique opportunities for both women and the organizations who hire them,” said Alona Geckler, senior vice president of business operations and chief of staff at Acronis, in a statement. “By hiring women into IT roles, companies will gain a wealth of perspectives and innovative ideas driven by creativity and enhanced problem-solving skills. This not only strengthens teams, but positions IT organizations to better meet the diverse needs of their customers in an increasingly complex digital landscape giving them a significant competitive edge.”
The concerns around gender equality aren’t based in a lack of women in the IT workforce, according to an Acronis blog that revealed women are represented on many IT teams. “Half of respondents said their teams were between 25% and 50% female. Almost 17% said their departments were majority female, and in this global survey, a little more than a quarter of respondents said IT departments in their respective countries were just about balanced between men and women,” the blog states.
On the positive side, 32% of respondents believe that men and women are treated equally in the workplace. Still, 31% of those surveyed said they believe that men are promoted faster. Just 34% of respondents “somewhat agree” there are adequate training and development programs for women to further advance their careers.
To help foster more gender diversity, survey respondents said they could benefit from training and other courses, including:
- Master classes, learning courses, and workshops: 63%
- Networking events: 58%
- Memberships in professional organizations: 44%
On the employer side, respondents said they believe organizations can help foster more gender equality in the workplace by offering mentorship opportunities (51%), actively hiring more diverse candidates (49%), and ensuring pay equity (49%).
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