Women working in ICT: situation and possibilities of progress in Catalonia and Spain

Abstract

The ICT sector is becoming a strategic and growing sector in our current societies and economies. However, gender inequalities persist and women’s representation in ICT is still low in Catalonia and Spain. In this article, we introduce the situation of women working in ICT and seek to identify the main barriers and opportunities for their progress. We implemented a survey that was answered by 325 women working in ICT in Catalonia. Our results show that women in ICT do not always access ICT jobs from an engineering degree, are satisfied with their jobs and enjoy better salaries than in other sectors, and that some flexi-time measures and other working conditions may play in their favor. This needs to be highlighted in order to encourage many more women to work in ICT. However, our results also suggest that too many women still suffer gender-based discrimination, work-life balance conflicts, and serious difficulties in being promoted. This also needs to be addressed if we are to improve the numbers of women in ICT.

Keywords:

• Gender
• ICT
• inclusion
• exclusion
• work-life balance

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by Recercaixa.

Notes on contributors

Núria Vergés Bosch

Núria Vergés Bosch holds a Ph.D. and is an assistant professor at the Department of Sociology of the University of Barcelona. Her research focuses on gender and technology, family issues and public policies. Among others, she has published in the Lancet, the Journal of Gender Studies, Gender, Place and Culture, Women’s Studies International Forum and Revista Española de Investigaciones Sociológicas.

Leon Freude

Leon Freude is a Ph.D. candidate in Sociology at the University of Barcelona. He holds a Sociology degree and a Master in Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Barcelona. His research focuses on gender and technology, feminist methodologies, as well as on Homonationalisms and LGTBIQ studies. He has published in the Sexuality & culture journal, Revista Española de Sociología and Teaching Sociology.

Elisabet Almeda Samaranch

Elisabet Almeda Samaranch is a full professor at the Department of Sociology of the University of Barcelona. Her research interests are focused on Sociology of Gender and Sociology of the Family. She has several publications and books including in the Journal of Gender Studies, Women’s Studies International Forum, Papers, Empiria or Punishment and Society.

Ana M. González Ramos

Ana Maria González Ramos is a professor at the Department of Sociology of the University Pablo Olavide in Seville. Her research focuses on Gender, Science and Technology and professional careers. She has written articles in Gender, Place and Culture, Women’s Studies International Forum, as well as Tertiary Education and Management.