Women are viewed in the same light as their male counterparts in the technology industry.
This according to Claudia Kremnitzer, a developer at IT solutions provider, MIP. "My experience in this industry has been you are viewed based on your performance, attitude and skills," she explains.
She says what encouraged her to get into the ICT field was the belief computers were becoming more and more popular in the workplace.
"My thinking was if I understood more about computers and how to use them, I would be able to apply that to any career I would eventually decide on. So I did a software development diploma and I have never looked back."
In attracting more women to the field, she says the industry needs to change the perception of a programmer being a male, non-social computer whiz who sits in a dark room with six computer screens and spits out code all day and night. "Somehow we need to show girls and women how diverse the industry really is," she says.
She believes the existing concept of taking a schoolgirl to work is an excellent idea, but more companies and schools need to get involved. She also thinks getting women who work in the industry to go to schools to discuss what their work entails may encourage more girls to choose IT as a career.
Kremnitzer says the ICT industry is welcoming to women. She explains there are so many facets in the ICT industry in which to get involved and each one requires different skills sets and personalities.
"Training and user support require good people skills and diplomacy," she explains. "Then there are also architect roles where one can get involved in designing the database, the backbone of the systems.
"Project management roles require leadership skills. Developer roles are also diverse in that one can be programming in a variety of different languages on different platforms. Quality assurance (testing) roles require a lot of interaction with both the end-users and the developers. Business analysis requires a good understanding of the industry the software system is for."
Kremnitzer says companies are becoming more flexible in allowing staff to work from home, which makes things a bit easier for working moms, for example. "All our work is done on laptops, so when kids are sick, we can work from home. Or if we want to attend the school concert, we can do so and then catch up on the work in the evenings.
"In any industry, I believe working moms juggle the pressures of work and family life - the ICT world seems to be tending towards more flexibility, which does make it a bit easier."
Share