The Gender Gap in IT: Girls and Technology
The Gender Gap in IT: Girls and Technology
At a time when gender and age diversity, as well as ensuring an adequate supply of skilled IT pros for the future, are crucial issues, CompTIA examines factors that discourage girls from entering the tech industry.
Parents Role
33% of girls and 38% of boys agree that parents/guardians are the primary source for finding out what IT stands for.
Lagging Parental Support
Only 67% of girls get help from parents/guardians to learn about smartphones vs. 79% for boys. For tablets, parent/guardian intervention is 59% for girls and 71% for boys.
Intro to Tech
Parents play a key role in technology introduction, but boys (11%) are more likely to use mobile devices at an earlier age, at 5 years old or younger, than girls (5%).
Waning Interest
23% of girls have considered an IT career, compared to 47% of boys. But age makes a difference. While 27% of girls in middle school have considered a career in technology, that drops to 18% by high school.
Tech Classes Aren’t Enough
Girls who have taken a tech class are only slightly more likely to consider an IT career (32%). Less than half are confident their skills are right for the job.
Learning Gap
29% of girls rank technology as one of their favorite subjects in school, compared to 55% of boys.
Lack of Awareness
69% of girls who have not considered an IT career attribute it to not knowing enough about IT jobs.
Info Needed
53% of girls said additional information about career options would encourage them to consider a job in IT.
Wanted: More Mentors
37% of girls know someone with an IT job. The percentage rises to 60% among girls who have considered an IT career.
IT Job Gaps
Only 7% of girls vs. 25% of boys show interest in becoming a programmer, and 8% of girls vs. 23% of boys have interest in a computer specialist role. The gap widens for software developer jobs: 5% of girls vs. 23% of boys.
Dream Job
59% of girls want a job where they can earn a lot of money and help other people (55%).
Knowledge Gap
69% of girls and 72% of boys attribute their lack of interest in pursuing an IT career to being unsure of what IT jobs entail; 45% of girls said they don’t know if they have the skills to succeed in these occupations.