Women 2.0 – Lack of Diversity in the IT Workplace

Salutations,

Women 2.0? The ICT sector requires ‘human capital’ to help push the innovation envelope. With that being said, there was an article recently posted on itWorldCanada that really caught my atention which read “Women in Canadian IT: How the best get ahead.”  According to this article, diversity issue(s) seem to be plaguing the IT workplace.  Recently, the ICT council hosted “Women in IT National Forum” in Toronto. The event kicked off with a guest speaker from Microsoft Canada, Elizabeth Carson, who began by acknowledging that the lack of women with strong technically-sound experience is an industry-wide challenge and therefore, must be addressed. 

Managing director Joanne Stanley of the Ottawa-based CATA Women in IT Forum presented on behalf of her group and said that women should be made aware of the IT jobs that might be more interesting to them. Examples included human resource technology, online management and collaboration, IT security, IT architecture (including design, graphics, and software), and business and system integration. Her group also suggested that IT needs a new “look”. Said Stanley: “We need to change the perception of the ICT industry: we need to make it look fun and sexy, and emphasize the flexible work environment.”

The main themes of this event were as as follows:

1. Provide tips on how to “network” better by implementing a structured mentor system that would help women navigate their workplace, and ongoing networking groups where women in the company’s IT department can interact.
2. Bringing better education to the school-age generation

http://www.itworldcanada.com/Pages/Docbase/ViewArticle.aspx?id=idgml-f860233b-c5a3-4588-837c-802cdc182cdc

What the heck is Women 2.0 anyway?

Women 2.0 aims to increase the number of young women entrepreneurs by encouraging women to work with and in the field of technology, providing resources that will lead to the launch of their company, and networking women with other female entrepreneurs, experienced executives, and investors.  Women 2.0 connects like-minded, motivated young women in the Silicon Valley to swap energy, ideas, and experiences with each other.