In the midst of the digital transition, it is not surprising that the ICT job market is expanding and offers numerous opportunities to young people with specific skills. Bureau Veritas, a verification and inspection body and leader in Italy in ISO 27001 certifications on IT security management systems, knows this well.
What is astonishing is that women – historically underrepresented in this sector, where men make up four fifths of those employed – are not jumping on the moving train: in 10 years (2012-2022), the percentage of Italian ICT professional women has remained substantially unchanged, around 16%. And the European trend does not console us, with a meager increase of 1.8 percentage points (from 17% to 18.9%).
University enrollments are a litmus test: although in the 2023/2024 academic year girls represent an abundant majority (over 56%), zooming in on enrollments in “Informatics and ICT Technologies” the female presence drops to 16.71%. The data processed by Openpolis are perfectly aligned, according to which – considering all ICT study paths – female graduates in Italy in 2022 reached only 16.8%.
These are the data on which Bureau Veritas Italia, at the forefront of gender equality issues, raises the alarm, alongside the Equal Opportunities Committee of the University of Genoa. A union of intentions favored by the solicitations of UNI/PdR 125 certificationwithin gender equalitywhich they can boast of today over 1800 companies.
«A certification – he declares Claudia Strasserra, Chief Reputation Officer of Bureau Veritas Italia – which acts as an effective lever for change, asking companies to measure themselves with some quantitative and qualitative indicators, capable of photographing company performance in terms of gender equality. Looking in the mirror and becoming aware of your strengths and areas for improvement is the first step for every organization that wants to contribute to a more equitable and inclusive working environment.”
And it’s thanks to the system management for gender equalityThat Bureau Veritas not only certifies but also applies internallywhich gave rise to the idea of an open discussion with the main stakeholders, primarily universities and companies in the ICT sector, united by the desire to support the entry of more girls into the ranks of computer scientists.
Self the future is digitalwomen are missing a great opportunity for affirmation in an economic and social context increasingly characterized by the need for IT technologies and skills, highly sought after by companies’ human resources.
But there’s more: artificial intelligence systems – to which we are entrusting increasingly important roles in private life and in the economy – are based on algorithms that tend to reflect the mindset and therefore also the preconceptions of those who design them. Programming predominantly in the hands of men risks expressing and perpetrating biases that would be mitigated if women were also involved in programming.
Yet, the reason why girls desert the ICT sector is far from clear and it would be simplistic and dangerous to dismiss the issue in the name of a lack of interest or – even worse – propensity of the female gender towards these subjects.
In reality, it was women who accompanied the first steps of information technology, only to then remain on the margins when, starting from the 1980s, the sector established itself as a key to economic development. Gender stereotypes – widespread in society and replicated within families themselves – have acted as a brake and conditioning, distancing young people from the opportunities of an expanding sector. In reality, girls demonstrate considerable aptitude and ability in their studies: statistics from the University of Genoa reveal that girls graduate in computer science with a higher grade and faster than their colleagues.
To crumble the prejudices that have hindered female growth in the digital world, it is precisely on the cultural level that actions must be oriented, making the ICT sector attractive for women too.
Very young girls need female role models who encourage them to follow their own inclinations: the stories and voices of ICT professionals therefore become fundamental, invited to take to the field to tell their stories, offering their own example to the imagination of girls and young women. of middle and high schools.
Bureau Veritas Italia is committed to communication that enhances the managerial and technical roles of women, counteracting the stereotypes that still afflict STEM disciplines: on this path, we are ready to network with other companies that share this fundamental objective.
