Three quarters of female workers in the IT sector believe women are put off from joining the industry because of the macho nature of the field, according to a new study from Mortimer Spinks.
The figures, revealed in the Women in Technology Survey from Computer Weekly, also showed that more than half of women believe that potential female recruits are put off by the male dominated culture in the industry.
Current data highlights that one one in seven people in the IT industry are female and that 65% of women have felt discriminated against in the job because of their gender.
A total of 512 people took part in the survey, of which 199 were female and 313 male. The male participants cited different reasons for the low ratio of female to male workers currently employed in the sector, stating that its geeky image is what turns women off.
Harry Gooding, head of client engagement at Mortimer Spinks, said: ”Much of the problem is image. The technology industry needs to figure out how it is going to make its technology function an attractive place for women to work, and then place this at the top of the agenda.”
Two thirds of male respondents in the survey said they would like to see more women in the industry. They said that the main benefits of having women on their teams are that they increase the fun, communication level and creativity in the office environment.
Sheila Flavell, chief operating officer at the FDM Group, said: “The findings in the survey highlight the vital roles women are currently playing within the UK IT industry. Their male counterparts acknowledge a more fun, creative and innovative environment with clearer communications due to having women on their teams.”
She continued: “With results such as these, I find it shocking that a mere one in seven people in the technology sector is female; we need to do more to attract women.”
