The Importance Of Women In Technology

Introduction

If people were asked what percentage of technological jobs are held by women, most would guess around 50%. But in fact, women’s involvement in technological fields has dropped significantly in the last decade, leaving less than 25% of such jobs being held by women. This prevents economies from developing and prevents communities from reaching their full potential. As John Kerry said, “No country can get ahead if it leaves half of its people behind. This is why the United States believes gender equality is critical to our shared goals of prosperity, stability, and peace, and why investing in women and girls worldwide is critical.” The lack of women in technology is a problem that faces us daily, but can also be changed daily. Unless

One reason why there is a lack of women involvement is because women are not encouraged to enter technology fields, or are encouraged to leave technology fields. This may be due to stereotypes, as women in technology related fields report greater stereotype threat concerns than men in the same fields (Deemer). This also may be because they were told they could not perform as well, because they saw posters/ads aimed towards men, or because their peers or teachers were mostly male. The lack of women in technology may also be due to socialization (Demiray). Socialization is the process by which individuals of either gender learn the norms, attitudes, and behaviors of society. Society leads many to believe that men are the producers of technology, and women are the domestic users of it. Factors like family, media, peers, and school can embody the belief that technology is not a women’s job, and from birth, women are socialized to believe the same thing. Aside from the social aspects, there are also educational aspects. Many women are not taught about technology until high school or college, which is often past the critical point of their education. As women graduate and get jobs, there is sometimes sexism in the workplace (Guynn). Even the most progressive technology companies have been criticized for not having skilled women in leadership positions, and many women in technology firms claim to have been sexually harassed or marginalized at work. Another reason why women are not encouraged to join technology fields is women in technology’s lack of role models (Wolcott). A large amount of educational technology research is conducted and published by male authors, and women who succeed often have a role model in the same field like a mother, sister, or friend to introduce them to the field. Finally, women may not be interested in technology because of family