A better work culture would bring women back to IT, the British
Computer Society (BCS) said today.
Companies need to make their working cultures more attractive to
women, by becoming aware of the different ways men and women act in
the work place, said Rebecca George, chair of the BCS women's
forum.
The number of
women in IT dropped 6% to 192,580 between 2001 and 2007. This
is compared to the 841,702 men working in IT in 2007.
George said, "The situation keeps on deteriorating. It is time
to re-examine the problem of keeping and motivating female IT
professionals.
"The
onus is on organisations to look creatively at their cultures.
I believe that if you strive to have the right culture for
everyone, you will bring women along as well."
She said women tend to be less good at self-publicity, believing
that if they do a good job they will get recognition. "It does not
necessarily work like that," she said.
The BCS women's
forum and recruitment portal are organising W-Tech 2009, ab IT
recruitment event aimed exclusively at women.