Less than one in five ICT professionals are women, according to data from the recent Women in the Digital Age study. Similarly, the number of women with engineering and mathematical sciences is still too low. Women are not well represented in the management of companies, especially those involved in technology. Only 1/3 of all European entrepreneurs are women and only 1/5 in the information and communication technology sector. In addition, only 17% of cybersecurity experts are women.
Interesting is the paradox that women entrepreneurs are much less, while women-run businesses have up to 63% better financial performance than those run by men.
“Women should be at the forefront of the digital change not just because they are women, but because they have potential” was stated by the Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society Maria Gabriel at the Global Women’s Leaders Forum in Sofia, “Inspiring Digital Leaders of the Future” in June 2018.
Across Europe women mostly remain underrepresented in technology. Bulgaria has the highest proportion, with 31,02% female ICT specialists, according to recently released Eurostat data. Romania showed a close result with 26.3 percent. Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Iceland and Sweden follow with over 20 percent. The European Union’s average of Women in Tech is 16.7 percent.
EC recently launched an annual scoreboard to monitor women’s participation in the digital economy. See the actions initiated at: MORE WOMEN IN DIGITAL: THE ROAD TO GROWTH & EQUALITY
Sources:
https://www.sheleader.digital/
https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/eu-actions-progress-women-digital
