Jared Polis Foundation Education Report: Technology

Information technology has become an integral part of nearly every aspect of society today, and its rapid development and utilization has also brought a growing demand for a highly skilled workforce in this industry. However, the need for IT professionals far exceeds the supply, and unfortunately this situation is even more pronounced when it comes to the number of women in IT-related fields.

Statistics clearly demonstrate the severity of this problem. While women earned nearly 60% of all undergraduate degrees at U.S. colleges and universities in 2006, only 21% of those degrees were earned in computing and information sciences. In addition, there has been a 70% decrease in incoming undergraduate women majoring in computer science between 2000 and 2005. The under-representation of women in technology in the higher education system translates into the business world as well. While women hold nearly half of all professional jobs, they hold less than 22% of software engineering positions. Also, among the top Fortune 500 IT companies, less than five percent of Chief Technical Officers are women. This means that women use, but do not create, technology: 80% of consumer spending decisions are made by women, but only 10% of technology products are developed by women.

Several organizations try to attract more women into technology careers by drawing attention to the shortage. The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology, The Women in Technology Project, and The Center for Women and Information Technology are among the groups that help empower and educate women to become more involved in the IT world.

“It is very important that women be involved in the process of designing and developing new technology,” says Lucy Sanders, president of the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), based at the University of Colorado at Boulder. “Currently, most computing technology is designed by men and often lacks the valuable technical insights women can provide.” NCWIT is a newly formed coalition that strives to unite all current efforts to increase the number of women in the IT field, while developing more powerful ways to implement new programs at K-12 schools and universities nationwide.

Sanders has focused on educating students early on about the importance of IT fields and the future development of technology. “Increasing the number of computer and technology classes available for K-12 students is imperative for increasing the number of females involved in technological fields. Young girls—and boys—are not being educated early enough about the importance of their participation in the development of technology,” says Sanders.

During its first four years, NCWIT has partnered with K-12 schools and various organizations to educate the public about the need for more women in IT fields, and has provided resources to teachers, parents, and students to help them navigate the process of obtaining computer science and IT degrees.

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