Although Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is an ever-expanding sector and strategic for Europe’s economic competitiveness, women are still strongly under-represented. On average, less than 30% of ICT workers are women, with the lowest rates being reached in software development, where they are employed in only 8%. Moreover, although women make up over 55% of the total number of graduates in the EU, only 40.2% graduate in science and technology, and this percentage drops further when looking at higher levels of post-graduate or management.
The causes of this inequality are systemic: deep-rooted gender stereotypes, lack of female role models in the sector, lack of inclusive schooling, working environments often dominated by male networks and cultures. This type of obstacles are the same as those encountered more generally by women pursuing careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and which Sineglossa and her partners are committed to overcoming with the support of the European Union, creating Her Tech.
Project goals
HER TECH seeks to create a more diverse and innovative digital landscape. The project brings together partners from across Europe to develop educational frameworks, promote policy change and provide mentoring and training opportunities for women in the ICT sector.
The main objectives of HER TECH are:
- Increase the participation of women in ICT studies and careers
- Challenging gender stereotypes in technology and education
- Promote inclusive ICT policies
- Create tailor-made educational programmes to involve and support women in technology
- Encourage a diverse and innovative digital workforce.
Project activities
The HER TECH project will produce:
- Reports made through research, surveys, and interviews, to compare and collect best practices for gender equality in ICT.
- Gender-sensitive training lessons and educational materials, designed to engage female students more effectively and adapted to their learning styles.
- An educational framework and policy recommendations developed participatively with stakeholder involvement.
- Testing and iterative improvement of educational materials, to ensure effectiveness and ease of use in school practice.
Credits
HER TECH is a project co-financed by Erasmus+ program from the European Union, and developed by partners Sineglossa (Italia), Algebra University (Croatia), XAMK South-Eastern University of Applied Sciences (Finland), Almost There (Sweden), All Digital (pan-European), Griffith College (Ireland), Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences (Germany).
