Research sheds light on attitudes holding industry back

Almost one in five men in IT explain why fewer females work in the profession by arguing that “women are naturally less well suited to tech roles than men.”

Feel free to check the calendar. No, we have not set the DeLorean for 1985. It is still 2023, yet anyone familiar with the industry over the last 30 years may feel a sense of déjà vu when reading the findings of a report by The Fawcett Society charity and telecoms biz Virgin Media O2.

The survey of nearly 1,500 workers in tech, those who have just left the industry, and women qualified in sciences, technology, or math, also found that a “tech bro” work culture of sexism forced more than 40 percent of women in the sector to think about leaving their role at least once a week.

Additionally, the study found 72 percent of women in tech have experienced at least one form of sexism at work. This includes being paid less than male colleagues (22 percent) and having their skills and abilities questioned (20 percent). Almost a third of women in tech highlighted a gender bias in recruitment, and 14 percent said they were made to feel uncomfortable because of their gender during the application process.

  • Dark ArcAEnglish
    3·
    10 months ago

    I feel this sentiment. I’d also caution that, these issues might not surface in the open. I also suspect that it’s hard to know who to trust and sometimes the cards seem stacked against you.

    Like, if you’re a woman in tech, do you assume your colleagues are with you or with XYZ person that’s causing the problem? As many of us would like to help if we’re aware of the issue, approaching the wrong person could result in “an unfortunate layoff due to a budget shortfall… Sorry Katie” or a hostile performance review.

    It’s hard for me to say really what goes on when I’m not looking and what I haven’t heard. Even in situations where I have seen something… what am I supposed to do – even as a man – if I’m vastly outranked by the creep?