Gender parity in IT
The future may be female, but we still have a lot of work to do. It is good to hear that the amount of women in stem fields increases every year. Also, the world finally recognizes the women from the past and their achievements. We couldn't have rocketed to the Moon without the work and of women like Margaret Hamilton, yet her legacy was known only to people who worked in the industry and not by mainstream society. No one would know the name Buzz Aldrin If not for the work of Margaret Hamilton. So it is good that the gender parity ratio is inching towards 1 to 1, but women's work and accomplishments must be recognized as much as men's. But what do we mean by gender parity?
What does gender parity mean?
Many people get the terms gender parity, and gender equality confused. Gender parity is a term meaning the ratio of a certain gender and an indicator, like income, to the other gender. So, we could say that if a hundred men are making $100,000 in an IT company, but only 50 women are making that much money at the same company, then we can say that within that company, the gender parity of women to men making $100,000 is 1 to 2. It is a method of measuring gender balance when it comes to a particular indicator. If a company has 100 women working for it, but only 50 men. Then the gender parity would look like the company is in favor of women. But if each of the 50 men is making twice the number of women, then the gender parity for income in that company is two to 1 men to women.
Gender equality Is a term that defines the state of equal access to resources and opportunities to both genders. It is not a specific measure of an indicator. It is an all-encompassing term. More tech-info you can find here: gender parity in European Union.
A bit of history and what is happening now
The gender parity for women in the workforce in any field begins to grow in favor of women since the 1970s. The Women's Liberation movement inspired many women who thought the career world was not open to them to join. It also caused many women to go to college and inspired them to shoot for a higher career goal than a secretary or sales attendant. Unfortunately, the rise in gender parity slowed significantly after the 1990s. In 1995, many tech companies in the entire tech industry decided that within 25 years, gender parity should be equal.
But we are now in 2021, and gender equality hasn’t happened. The gender parity ratio for men and women employed throughout the tech industry is Less than 50%. And the larger and more successful company is, the less likely it is to have women. Today in the US, the largest tech companies in the country have gender parity of employees in favor of men 5:1. This ratio means the workforces of companies like Apple, Microsoft, Google, Groupon, Facebook, and Instagram, are made up of 20% women and 80% men. 20% is an astonishingly low amount.
So what happened? Why aren't women interested in IT? Well, they are interested in IT. The better question is, "What's keeping them from developing a career in IT?"
Barriers to overcome
More to prove: women are held to higher standards than men for the same job position. Culture says that women are not interested in IT, so women in the field must not know as much as men because they only learn enough to keep their jobs. They don't have a passion for IT and won't try to research different issues and problems independently.
A massive pay gap: So many women have stories about how they realize they were being paid much less for the same job than their male colleagues. They're male calls for making 20 to 50% more than they were. Money is a resource, and those without enough resources cannot Advance as quickly as those who have plenty of it. Money can allow a person to further their education and help improve their schedule like gas money, pay for school fees, hire a babysitter, and afford eating out and on the go.
No camaraderie: Women who do advancing in their careers often find that they are the only woman on an entire floor or building. Without a group of like-minded peers to collaborate with and spend time with after work, it becomes more difficult and lonely to stay at their job. They can make friends with men, but it often leads to men hitting on them because they think the woman wants to form a sexual relationship with them.
Discouragement: What society says and approves of is a major factor in people's relationships, goals, and careers. There simply aren't as many female role models to look up to four women as there are men and it. Also, the female role models who have made great achievements in their work are not as celebrated in general society as male role models.
Has covid-19 affected gender parity?
Covid-19 changed the entire world and left devastation in its wake. Every part of the world has been affected, and all will feel the effects of Covid-19 for at least a decade. Unfortunately, gender parity has not stayed the same or improved for women since it started. Many people have lost their jobs, and a significant amount of those people are women. The people who have been affected the worst by the job layoffs are new entry-level workers. They're not as valuable as older workers and those who are high up in their careers. Many entry-level workers are let go. But when it comes to the entry-level workers of a tech company, most of them are women. So companies are destroying the careers of the women who are just beginning theirs.
Conclusion
Gender parity and gender equality still have to be achieved, but it is taking a very long time. Societal stigma, reduced resources, and higher expectations are major barriers for women in the IT field, and it does not look like these issues are going away anytime soon. Perhaps women should create their own companies and only hire other women.