Catherine Powell wrote a piece for the Council on Foreign Relations about the need for more women in information and communication technology jobs.
With the rise of the digital economy, many low- and middle-income countries face an obstacle: a shortage of qualified people to fill critical information and communication technology (ICT) jobs, a gap that is exacerbated by the low representation of women in these industries.
The mismatch between the demand for ICT workers and the supply of job seekers with the necessary technical skills threatens the ability of those countries to participate in the digital economy, a powerful driver of growth for the twenty-first century. My new CFR report, Women in Tech as a Driver of Growth in Emerging Economies (coauthored with United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Chief Innovation Officer Ann Mei Chang), argues that increasing the participation of women in the ICT labor force would help bridge this gap, but women are not yet able to take full advantage of this growing sector. While a degree in computer science or engineering is necessary for most professional-level careers in ICT, the share of women graduates in these fields is slipping in many parts of the world.
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Expanding women’s access to ICT jobs would not only advance economic opportunities for women, their families, and their communities, but it would also help address the shortage of skilled workers for these jobs and grow the digital economy. According to the recent McKinsey report, The Power of Parity, advancing women’s equality could add as much as $12 trillion to annual gross national product globally by 2025. Other research demonstrates that restricted job opportunities for women cost the Asia-Pacific region between $42 and $46 billion a year. Similar limitations have also led to the loss of enormous economic potential throughout Arab states, which have the widest gender gap in economic opportunity. Moreover, as women become increasingly active users of technology, their participation in designing and developing tech products and services will help to enhance technology’s relevance for women as consumers, further boosting innovation and economic growth.
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The new CFR report surveys case studies in different regions, with some surprising findings. In India, 42 percent of computer and engineering undergraduate students are women, double that in the United States. In fact, 30 percent of programmers in India are women, in contrast to 21 percent in the United States. In Malaysia, women’s participation in tech is equal to that of men, driving growth and closing the gender gap. However, only about 12 percent of computer science degrees go to women in Kenya, a tech hub for the region. InBrazil, the local software industry is expanding; however, the proportion of women studying computer science in college has plunged. In Arab states, such as the United Arab Emirates, significant numbers of women graduate in STEM, but their involvement in tech drops off before they enter the ICT job market.
Working together, the public and private sectors should address the multiple barriers women and girls face, particularly in low- and middle-income countries whose economies stand to gain the most from greater participation of women in vital ICT jobs. For policy recommendations, check out the full report.
