The growing importance of the IT sector and the under-representation of women
Information technology (IT) has been growing steadily in recent years. This growth has led to a strong demand for skilled workers. However, in France, only 24% of digital jobs are held by women (INSEE, 2021/2022). Although there has been a slight increase in recent years, the representation of women in IT professions remains low overall, and is struggling to make significant progress.
This disparity is not uniform across all IT sectors.
A 2017 INSEE study showed that only 17% of computer programming and development positions were held by women in France.
Cybersecurity: By 2022, 25% of cybersecurity professionals will be women (Women in Cybersecurity).
The impact of under-representation of women
By denying themselves the benefits of diversity within their teams, companies are holding back innovation and growth in the sector, and losing access to a pool of potential talent and skills.
This lack of parity contributes to maintaining gender and salary inequalities in society. In the Tech sector, the pay gap between men and women climbs to 19.6%, compared with 15.8% for all sectors combined (50inTech study carried out in 2022). What’s more, women are less represented in positions of responsibility.
Causes of the disparity between women and men in the IT sector
The primary cause of women’s under-representation in IT is the gender stereotype that keeps them away from scientific and technological fields. Stereotypical school curricula, lack of encouragement and the absence of female role models reinforce the idea that they lack the necessary keys to develop an interest and skills in this field.
The IT sector is often characterized by long working hours and a demanding culture, which can be particularly difficult to manage for women who also have family responsibilities.
While the causes of the disparity between men and women in the IT sector are multiple and complex, promising initiatives are emerging to foster greater inclusion.
Initiatives to be implemented for greater inclusion of women
- Raise awareness and break down gender stereotypes from an early age by setting up education programs and promoting female role models in the IT sector.
- Encourage the training of women in IT professions by supporting specific training and retraining programs for women, and by promoting lifelong learning and skills development for women in IT.
- Promoting inclusive, women-friendly work environments
- Celebrate the achievements of women in IT and highlight their role models
- Implement anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies and effective reporting procedures
- Train employees in awareness and prevention of different forms of harassment and discrimination, as well as how to respond to them.
- Be a signatory of the French Tech mission’s Pacte Parité
Our commitments to promoting women in IT
At iSupplier, our corporate culture is based on inclusive and caring values for all employees, valuing diversity and punishing discriminatory behavior.
We are committed to publishing job vacancies that are open to both men and women. We also apply an egalitarian and transparent remuneration and promotion policy, based on performance evaluation criteria.
At iSupplier, we encourage women to develop and strengthen their leadership skills. We also offer family-friendly working hours, with flexible schedules to make it easier for employees to reconcile their professional and personal lives.
As part of our nomination to the French Tech Next40/120, we are a signatory to the Pacte Parité. This Pact sets out 5 simple, concrete commitments to accelerate the movement in favor of parity within our company.
While the causes of this phenomenon are many and complex, promising initiatives are emerging to reverse the trend and make diversity a source of strength for the IT sector.
