The latest research leaves no room for illusion: regardless of skills and experience, women in IT really do earn less! Of course, you can pretend that the problem does not exist and ignore these data (after all, it would not be the first time), but you can also… draw conclusions and start taking real action for change. A good opportunity to take the first step is to attend the “Modern Woman – Transformation and Strength” conference in September.
Going back to the research cited at the beginning, only 20% of women in IT earn as much as men in equivalent positions, according to a report by the IT Services Employers Association (SoDA). Simply put, the rates offered to women in IT are more than discouraging.[1].
It is estimated that women currently make up about 18% of the Polish IT workforce[2]. Given that there is still a shortage of about 150,000 workers in the industry, it is women who could fill the gap. We need to start by equalizing salaries, as only 57% of employed female professionals[3] are satisfied with their current salary.
–The reality in which we live and work is increasingly complex and demanding. When I say ‘demanding’, I mean first and foremost the unprecedented demand for flexibility that employers expect from us – says Iwona Gramatyka, CEO of EXPO Katowice.
On the one hand, the market is full of “lost jobs”, which are the result of automation and the relocation of production to locations with lower labor costs, and on the other hand, “gained jobs”, i.e. jobs whose creation is the result of technological developments or demographic changes. Against the backdrop of these two trends, there is a third group of occupations that require substantial transformation, adaptation, and the acquisition of new skills. Demographics, like the job market, are ruthless. IT needs women, because without them there is nothing to dream of, nothing to develop and nothing to meet the demands of the market. This is a good thing for women – because you don’t have to enter the IT world at a young age to learn new skills. The job market is looking for new skills. We already know that tens of millions of women around the world will have to change careers in the next few years.
Always worth talking about
We are only a few months away from the start of the next edition of the country’s most important heavy industry fair, the EXPO KATOWICE International Fair, one of the most prestigious events of its kind in Europe and the world. It is a platform for many conferences and debates. Important events for the industry are organized within the framework of the Meeting Industry. One of them is the “Modern Woman – Transformation and Strength” conference, which will focus on discussions about changes in the perception of the role of women in industry over the years, green competence in the context of sustainable development and what is important in the modern business world.
–Given the fact that more women than men are entering the labor market, there is no doubt that we women will have a real impact on our economy – adds I. Gramatyka.
We invite you to participate in the Conference: https://expo-katowice.com/pl/kobieta-wspolczesna/
[1] https://homodigital.pl/kobiety-w-it-naprawde-zarabiaja-mniej-mamy-na-to-dane/?mc_cid=893fd5908f&mc_eid=916dc1855d, dostęp: 22.04.2024.
[2] https://www.wnp.pl/tech/w-branzy-it-pracuje-17-proc-kobiet-zarabiaja-mniej-niz-mezczyzni,825921.html, dostęp: 22.04.2024.
[3] https://itwiz.pl/czy-branza-it-ma-szanse-stac-sie-bardziej-kobieca/, dostęp: 22.04.2024.