Report on Women in Technology

A 2007 report by Women in Technology International (WITI) summarizes the outlook of nearly 2000 woman and 16 CIOs in technology-related fields, with a review of their opinions on issues and opportunities arising from having a career in technology. The 16 CIOs provided insight on career lessons learned during their respective advancement experiences.

While much of the information was provided by IT professionals, the report also touches on hurdles faced by women in areas of science and engineering. These are professions that continue to be traditionally dominated by men, particularly in higher positions. Women that do get into technology-related fields are still heard to complain about “boys clubs” and “glass ceilings”, and the consequences of taking a break to raise a family.

These issued appeared to be as real today as they were a decade ago, although it is clear some progress has been made. About half of women felt there was still inequality between women and men in their workplace and felt their views were not as highly respected or frequently sought as mens. The struggle to balance family and work was regarded as having an influence on career progress and the ability to commit to significant career-advancing projects.

Despite the hurdles, 75% of respondants said they would advise a woman starting her career to get into technology, and the majority were satisfied with their jobs, saw forward movement, felt challenged and able to utilize their skills, and felt they had choices, in how they did their jobs and the direction of their careers.

WITI is a global network of women in technology, that promotes networking, support and empowerment of women working at all levels in technological fields. The full WTI report can be downloaded as a PDF file from their website and anyone interested might want to attend their 2007 Summit meeting in September.