Women participation in IT positions in Canada is less than 28%, and has significantly reduced over the last 10 years despite an overall increase in demand for IT workers. Women also make up only 10% of board members, 6% of executive officers, and 30% of CIOs do not believe women are underrepresented in tech roles. The quit rate for women in IT is 41% compared to just 17% for men, and factors influencing the low participation include an unwelcoming environment, lack of support systems, and work-life balance challenges. It is important to discuss women in IT as technology is prevalent in many industries, yet systems like digital assistants have been shown to lack consideration of women's issues.

1. WOMEN AND IT@CANADA Marcela Guerra

2. WOMEN IN IT @ CANADA
Impressive increase in
the demand for IT
workers in the last 10
years
Significant reduction in
the number of female
employees working in
technology positions
Women participation is
less than 28%
(Ashcraft, McLain and Eger, 2016) (Orser, Riding, Dathan and
Stanley, 2007)
UN Stats (2015)

3. Lessthan28%(women)
(Orser, Riding, Dathan and Stanley, 2007)

4. Lessthan3%(minorities)
(Orser, Riding, Dathan and Stanley, 2007)

5. WOMEN IN IT LEADERSHIP
10% of board
members
6% of executive
officers
30% of CIOs don’t
consider that women
are underrepresented
in tech
(Ashcraft, McLain and Eger, 2016)(Ashcraft, McLain and Eger, 2016) (Ashcraft, McLain and Eger, 2016)

6. QUIT RATE
(Ashcraft, McLain and Eger, 2016)
41%
17%
WOMEN MEN
QUIT RATE

7. FACTORS
INFLUENCI
NG LOW
PARTICIPATI
ON
Unwelcoming environment: harassment, suggestive comments,
expertise rejection;
Lousy experience in the workforce;
Lack of models, mentors, sponsors;
Work-life balance challenge and family-work conflicts;
Lack of access to creative and innovative technical roles;
Glass ceiling;
Micro-inequities and implicit bias;
(Ashcraft, McLain and Eger, 2016)

8. WHY IS RELEVANT TO
DISCUSS WOMEN IN
IT?
IT and coding is everywhere;
Tests in 2016 showed that Siri, Google
Now and Cortana knew how to respond
to “I had a heart attack” but they had
no answer to “I’ve been raped” or “I’ve
been sexually assaulted”;

9. INITIATIVES & GROUPS

10. REFERENCES
Ashcraft, C., McLain, B., & Eger, E. (2016). Women in tech: the facts.
Retrieved from
https://www.ncwit.org/sites/default/files/resources/womenintech_facts_full
report_05132016.pdf
Orser, B., Riding, A., Dathan, M. & Stanley, J. (2007). Gender challenges of
women in the Canadian advanced technology sector. Ottawa: University of
Ottawa Telfer School of Management. Retrieved from:
http://www.cips.ca/?q=system/files/CATA-WIT.pdf
Statistics Canada (2016, August 29). Insights on Canadian Society: The
Canada–U.S. gap in women's labour market participation. Ottawa: Statistics
Canada. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75-006-
x/2016001/article/14651-eng.htm
UN Stats (2015). The world’s women 2015: Trends and statistics. New York:
UN. Retrieved form