Skip to content
Tiatra, LLCTiatra, LLC
Tiatra, LLC
Information Technology Solutions for Washington, DC Government Agencies
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Services
    • IT Engineering and Support
    • Software Development
    • Information Assurance and Testing
    • Project and Program Management
  • Clients & Partners
  • Careers
  • News
  • Contact
 
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Services
    • IT Engineering and Support
    • Software Development
    • Information Assurance and Testing
    • Project and Program Management
  • Clients & Partners
  • Careers
  • News
  • Contact

4 ways higher ed can close the tech industry’s gender gap

In 2022, women represented 49% of the total employed adults in the US, but a mere 26% of roles in computing and technology, according to a State of the Tech report released last year by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), with significantly less representation by Black and Hispanic women. Despite efforts to address this gender gap, the ratio of women in technology positions has declined over the past 35 years, and roughly half of women drop out of IT by age 35.

What is even more disheartening is that while a healthy number of young girls and women enroll and thrive in early education STEM programs, this enthusiasm and drive seems to wane at the college and university levels, where women account for just 16% of those who earned a bachelor’s degree in computer and information sciences.

The lack of women in an industry that is fundamentally reshaping our economy and our society puts everyone at a disadvantage. If we want this industry to develop solutions that are designed for people from a wide range of backgrounds, we need more women to participate in its development. The reasons this isn’t happening are many and varied, but there are a few common issues that higher education, in particular, is well-suited to address:

  • Gender bias: Traditional gender roles and cultural norms leave girls with less exposure to technology in their formative years, and unconscious bias can further reinforce these stereotypes throughout elementary and secondary school.
  • Lack of representation: Fewer women in technology means fewer opportunities for girls to envision themselves in that industry.
  • Male-dominated environments: Men outnumber women in technology classrooms and offices, a dynamic that often leaves women feeling marginalized.

Here are four ways colleges and universities can break down these barriers and help close the gender gap in technology.

  1. Get involved early

    The leaks in the tech pipeline start at the very beginning. Fewer young women plan to enter careers in STEM fields in their high school years, even when they do well in math and science, according to a 2020 Cornell University study.

    “We do not need to boost young women’s math tests scores or confidence in their math ability as much as we need to entice more women to plan to enter science-related occupations,” the study’s authors wrote. Young women need to see STEM fields, in general, and technology, in particular, as viable career paths if we want to increase workforce diversity in those areas.

    One way universities and colleges can help students expand their career trajectories is by partnering with local schools to offer STEM programming early — even before high school.

    Some universities and colleges, including my own, have already taken steps in this direction, offering summer STEM academies and mentoring of elementary and high school students by STEM practitioners. This type of programming helps prepare students for college and careers in STEM fields.

    We need to do it at a wider scale with students of all ages to fuel more interest in technology careers, as well as explore how we can further incentivize students, such as through technology competitions that award scholarships.

  2. Recruit tech role models

    Diverse representation will spark a diversity of interest in technology. Young women need to see themselves in technology before pursuing a career in that field.

    Universities and colleges can provide such role models by recruiting more female faculty members in technology disciplines and more female staff members to manage campus technology. Higher education must set an example for the diversity we want to see in industry within our own institutions, and, right now, we’re not measuring up.

    Only 14% of tenure-track computer science faculty are women, according to the American Association of University Women, and a 2019 report from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources found women represent just 26% of the IT workforce in higher education.

    We must prioritize closing the gender gap in our own ranks to help solve this problem on a wider scale.

  3. Build inclusive tech programs

    The obstacles don’t end for women once they have chosen to major in a technical field. Women drop out of technology classes at a rate of 37%, compared to 30% for other programs, according to the 2020 study by Accenture and Girls Who Code. So, how can colleges and universities help women thrive when they do opt to major in technology?

    We need to rethink our programs so they are more welcoming to women. The American Association of University Women highlighted a small liberal arts college in California that increased the percentage of women graduating from its computing program to about 40%, up from 12%, in just five years. How? By revising the introductory computing course, providing more research opportunities, and bringing female students to a conference focused on women in computing. We need to follow that example.

  4. Promote tech merits

    Technology has revolutionized the way we live our lives, and it will continue to have an outsized impact on society, particularly as we contend with enormous challenges like the climate crisis and income inequality. We are just beginning to explore how artificial intelligence and other technologies can help us tackle such problems, and we must engage and empower students to be part of these solutions.

    Universities and colleges can start by promoting research happening within our own institutions that’s driving change, and, when possible, inviting young people to participate in that research.

    Technology will shape our future, and how that technology is built and operates will be a direct reflection of the people who created it. As Microsoft researcher Kate Crawford recently wrote: “inclusivity matters — from who designs it to who sits on the company boards and which ethical perspectives are included.”

Solving the gender diversity problem in the tech industry, or at least reversing the decline, will take time. As a first step, colleges and universities can develop support structures and training programs that propel more young women to pursue technology majors, complete their degrees, and ultimately pursue a career path in their field of study. Following that, companies must go beyond the DEI rhetoric and establish programs that continue support through coaching, mentoring, and cultural community.

If we want to truly harness technology for the greater good of all, we must open our doors to invite more people, particularly more women, to participate in its development. If colleges and universities implement the steps above to welcome more women into our institutions in pursuit of technology degrees, and then support them throughout their educational journey, we can begin to effectively close the gender gap in technology to build a stronger, more innovative, and more diverse industry.

Diversity and Inclusion, Education Industry, Women in IT
Read More from This Article: 4 ways higher ed can close the tech industry’s gender gap
Source: News

Category: NewsMarch 4, 2024
Tags: art

Post navigation

PreviousPrevious post:Why your best IT managers quitNextNext post:Women in Tech: “It’s still essential to celebrate and encourage more women to join the industry”

Related posts

Barb Wixom and MIT CISR on managing data like a product
May 30, 2025
Avery Dennison takes culture-first approach to AI transformation
May 30, 2025
The agentic AI assist Stanford University cancer care staff needed
May 30, 2025
Los desafíos de la era de la ‘IA en todas partes’, a fondo en Data & AI Summit 2025
May 30, 2025
“AI 비서가 팀 단위로 지원하는 효과”···퍼플렉시티, AI 프로젝트 10분 완성 도구 ‘랩스’ 출시
May 30, 2025
“ROI는 어디에?” AI 도입을 재고하게 만드는 실패 사례
May 30, 2025
Recent Posts
  • Barb Wixom and MIT CISR on managing data like a product
  • Avery Dennison takes culture-first approach to AI transformation
  • The agentic AI assist Stanford University cancer care staff needed
  • Los desafíos de la era de la ‘IA en todas partes’, a fondo en Data & AI Summit 2025
  • “AI 비서가 팀 단위로 지원하는 효과”···퍼플렉시티, AI 프로젝트 10분 완성 도구 ‘랩스’ 출시
Recent Comments
    Archives
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • February 2025
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • March 2024
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • October 2023
    • September 2023
    • August 2023
    • July 2023
    • June 2023
    • May 2023
    • April 2023
    • March 2023
    • February 2023
    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • October 2022
    • September 2022
    • August 2022
    • July 2022
    • June 2022
    • May 2022
    • April 2022
    • March 2022
    • February 2022
    • January 2022
    • December 2021
    • November 2021
    • October 2021
    • September 2021
    • August 2021
    • July 2021
    • June 2021
    • May 2021
    • April 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    Categories
    • News
    Meta
    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org
    Tiatra LLC.

    Tiatra, LLC, based in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, proudly serves federal government agencies, organizations that work with the government and other commercial businesses and organizations. Tiatra specializes in a broad range of information technology (IT) development and management services incorporating solid engineering, attention to client needs, and meeting or exceeding any security parameters required. Our small yet innovative company is structured with a full complement of the necessary technical experts, working with hands-on management, to provide a high level of service and competitive pricing for your systems and engineering requirements.

    Find us on:

    FacebookTwitterLinkedin

    Submitclear

    Tiatra, LLC
    Copyright 2016. All rights reserved.