IT&Telecom companies work for a more equal industry
A well-functioning IT and telecom industry is crucial to the Swedish economy and social development. At the same time, there are challenges for the industry with skills shortages and lack of gender equality.
- If our industry is to continue to be an engine for Swedish growth, the skills issue must be resolved. I link part of this problem to a lack of gender equality. The IT and telecom industry cannot afford to attract only men. Forceful action and training initiatives are needed. We in the industry need to do more, but we also need support from politicians and society in general,' says Åsa Zetterberg, Director of the Swedish IT and Telecom Association.
Business value through gender equality
To this end, IT&Telekomföretagen is relaunching Womentor, a change and leadership program for IT and telecom companies that want to address the gender imbalance in the industry. The main aim of the program is to promote business value by increasing the ability of the entire industry, and individual companies, to attract and retain the best talent.
- Everyone benefits from a gender-equal tech industry. Yet progress is too slow. With Womentor, together we are accelerating the pace towards a more attractive and innovative digital sector," says Åsa Zetterberg.
Womentor companies better at gender equality than the industry average
The companies that have participated in Womentor have, on average, a significantly more positive development than the industry in general. Companies that have participated every year since the start in 2006 have increased the proportion of women in their companies from 25 to 34 percent.
- The figures speak for themselves, while the skills shortage is a real problem. "I can see that we are losing business due to a lack of people with relevant IT skills. It's not enough that the industry attracts almost exclusively men. That's why Womentor is an important piece of the puzzle for a better and more sustainable industry," says Pär Fors, CEO of CGI and Chairman of the Board of IT&Telecomföretagen.
Womentor
As Womentor 2020 kicks off, 21 companies have taken up the challenge. Participating companies nominate a woman in a management position as a mentee in the Womentor program, and offer two mentor candidates. What distinguishes Womentor from similar programs is that it is not aimed solely at individuals but involves the entire company signing up to be active in a change process. New this year is that the network Teknikkvinnor is involved in running the program.