Growing the industry. No wonder we have a diversity problem!

We all know digital technology employs more men than women, the most recent gender diversity evidence can be found in the Digital Skills for Tomorrow, Today report which tells us the number of women in the workforce is 29% (up 2% from 2020). I went looking for past figures from Statistics NZ on how this has trended over time, in 2013 25% of the STEM workforce were women (which bundled information technology alongside engineering, architecture and the like). Upshot is nothing much has changed in 10 years! why is this?

Diversity isn’t all about gender of course, that same Digital Skills report also highlights “The proportion of Māori in digital technology teams has lifted 0.7 percent to 4.8 percent, and Pacific peoples are up 1.6 percent to 4.4 percent.” Unfortunately there is limited data on people with disabilities, other ethnicities, people who live with neurodiverse conditions, LBGTQA+ or the breakdown of those in leadership roles within our industry available today.

My question today - why do we still have a diversity problem in 2024?

You can’t be what you can’t see

A colleague sent me this screenshot recently with caption - no wonder we have a diversity problem!
Acknowledging this is an education programme advertisement -it’s about who we see as leaders in our industry, who holds the Chief Digital Officer title. Scanning the CIO50 list here in Aotearoa 10 of the 50 are women, one of whom has since moved on from her role. Now I know the team there work hard to ensure they consider a diverse range of CIO’s yet find that diversity just isn’t present.

I worked for 10 years in this wonderful industry as a “techo” before I worked with another woman! yet we know that post WW2 women were a dominating force in the digital technology industry.

How the Tech Industry wrote women out of history is a fascinating read, how women were the highly trained workforce for decades yet businesses and governments undertook a campaign to change that makeup:

But by the 1970s, there was a change in mindset and women were no longer welcome in the workplace: the government and industry had grown wise to just how powerful computers were and wanted to integrate their use at a management level. “But they weren’t going to put women workers – seen as low level drones – in charge of computers,”

For an example of the kind of advertising that underscored this change here is an advert from 1965 - yes they are offering training for male or female trainees but “if an 18-year-old-girl- can train to be a computer programmer…so can you!” says it all really.

Being seen isn’t all about self promotion, it’s about us as an industry making a concerted effort to ensure we welcome and support everyone who has arrived here from a different pathway, that everyone we don’t usually see in digital tech feels supported and that they belong, feel valued and are able to be seen by others.

“It’s easy to write history just looking at the people who are really good self-promoters”

Young women don’t see STEM as a pathway

I wrote an article for Stuff years ago - Encouraging Women to Play the Digital Game - which opens with “I don't think there's any doubt we have a problem with the number of girls taking STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) classes at school. It's just that now, we're beginning to understand the implications of that gap, and the flow on effect of creating a gender imbalance in such areas as the digital and technology industry.”

Back in 2016 I quoted the Girl Scouts of America’s research finding that only 13% of girls in their programmes were interested in STEM careers. Today we know that of the 1710 Information Technology domestic degree graduates in 2021, 24% were women, 5% Māori and 4% Pasifica. Sunsilk research in 2021 tells us:

There is an obvious gender imbalance in STEM study choices in our country with female students dropping from 41.5% in Year 12 to only 19.8% in higher (tertiary) education. Postgraduate and Masters/PhD show an even more dramatic decrease, with only 4.6% and 2.4% of women respectively.

Changing the face of this industry

The imperative to transform the landscape of the digital technology industry is clear. By actively encouraging and embracing women and those we don’t usually see in STEM careers, we can not only foster a more inclusive and diverse environment, but also drive innovation and creativity. Diversity in perspectives, experiences, and skills is not just a moral or social obligation, but a strategic advantage that can propel the tech industry forward. The richness brought about by a diverse workforce is immeasurable, leading to more comprehensive solutions, creative problem-solving, and a broader impact on society as a whole. As we stand on the cusp of a new era in digital technology, let us commit to making this change not just a goal, but a reality, ensuring that the face of the tech industry truly reflects the diverse and vibrant world it serves.

Next blog will be on how you can all help. Vic