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EMC fights for ICT gender balance [ITWeb](ITWeb Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) We have to dispel age-old myths that 'women aren't good at maths', says Jacqueline Glenn, EMC's VP and global chief diversity officer. Storage solutions provider EMC is aiming to encourage more women to choose ICT careers. In an interview with ITWeb this week, the company's VP and global chief diversity officer, Jacqueline Glenn, said there aren't enough women opting for a career in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) fields. She pointed out that this is not a problem that is only affecting EMC, but the majority of companies around the globe. The Storage giant has come up with a concept tagged 'Cradle to Career', which is focused on redressing the balance by encouraging more women to enter the IT profession and thrive in their chosen careers. "Women are consistently under-represented in the high-tech fields, and that's true at a global level," Glenn said. "In the US, for example, women make up about half of the workforce, but only one-quarter of STEM employees. And the number of women entering these fields has not been growing." Generating interest The Cradle to Career concept is based on the premise that, if girls are educated about high-tech careers from nursery school and nurtured all the way through university, they will be empowered to continue in the field once they graduate. In this way, more women will be interested in IT careers. "We have to start with girls in junior primary school, getting them interested in maths and science and dispelling age-old myths that 'women aren't good at maths'. We have to help young girls build their confidence that they can do and be anything they choose. In addition, we have to provide positive role models so they can see others like them in IT positions," Glenn says. According to Glenn, there are substantial challenges facing the quest to increase the number of women in IT. For example, even those who graduate with engineering or science degrees don't always go into the IT industry. Previous research has found that men are employed in a STEM occupation at twice the rate of women, she added. Furthermore, after the first year in a profession in science, technology, engineering or maths, women are more likely to leave their jobs than their male colleagues, she notes, adding that a new study finds that women call it quits 45% more often in their rookie years at such STEM jobs than men do. A study conducted by the American Association of University Women found that the main reasons women leave STEM jobs are hostile work environment and the isolation of often being the only woman. While work-life balance was one of the factors, it was not the main reason. Even when women overcome the odds in STEM fields, they're still paid less than men. Full-time female workers with STEM degrees earn approximately 40% less than their male equivalents. South African front In SA, EMC has a variety of approaches to develop and retain women, including mentorship, sponsorship, women-specific development programmes and networks. In addition, the company is working to address its organisational culture, through addressing its unconscious bias towards women. The company has a formal women's mentorship programme, where both male and female managers can apply to be mentors, and women at any level of the organisation can apply to be mentored. It also has a programme called 'Stepping Up' for senior women who are looking to make the next big step in their career. This includes women-specific development programmes, and visibility to executives, with one-on-one meetings and networking opportunities among the group of senior women, and with the executives. Since 'early career' support is just as vital for women, and EMC Southern Africa addresses this as well. Women tend to be less clear about their career goals, tend to apply for roles only if they meet all the criteria of the job specification and are less likely to negotiate their salaries, it says, and has therefore focused on 'Negotiation for Women' courses – learning how to ask for what you want and need to be successful. "All IT environments worldwide are trending in the same percentile. Our goal is to increase these percentages through education and developing a robust pipeline. I would recommend that major players in the South African IT industry work with high schools, colleges and universities to provide internships and networking opportunities," says Glenn. She advises women seeking leadership roles in IT to have confidence in their expertise and abilities. It's also important to have a good mentor or sponsor who can support their belief in their potential. "Women are less likely to take credit for their accomplishments, are less assertive and may not be viewed as having leadership potential," she says. "Having a sponsor can make all the difference, because sponsors advocate for those they sponsor, go to bat for them and recommend them for developmental assignments and promotions. (c) 2014 ITWeb Limited. All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). |