Work continues towards a more equal industry

In recent years, the trend towards a more equal tech industry has been positive, but some challenges remain. On the occasion of International Women's Day, TechSweden's Siri Åhmans and Pia Högset, labor lawyer and head of region west and industrial policy expert, respectively, talk about the work for an industry with equal opportunities, working conditions and work environment. 

- If we are to highlight some challenges, increased awareness and knowledge are fundamental, to be aware and understand the importance of gender equality, to integrate the perspective at all levels, both in small and large decisions. This is a prerequisite for creating change, which is what is required given that the industry today has only 32% women. Gender equality leads not only to a better society but also to benefits for business, through multiple perspectives, creative solutions and products and services that address several.  

Siri Åhlmans and Pia Högset highlight the need for more role models who can spread the image of tech and that it is possible to influence social development and contribute to smart solutions for the future by choosing a tech career.

- Unfortunately, we do not think that everyone is aware of this today. It is an incredibly exciting industry of the future and it needs to be highlighted to our primary school students as well so that we can cultivate interest right from the start in young girls, for example. Culture is another important issue and here the industry has an important task to create and spread a culture that is inclusive and attractive to everyone. 

What does it look like at managerial level? Do women have the same career opportunities in the tech sector as men? 

- In the tech industry, almost 40% of all managers are women. However, we also see that women have a lower median salary than men, which could indicate that women have at least as good a chance of becoming managers as men, but that men have the more highly paid positions.  

How is TechSverige and the industry working to improve gender equality? Are there any particularly successful initiatives?

- Gender equality, inclusion and diversity are priority issues for TechSverige and our member companies. It is about both ensuring access to the right skills, today there is an annual shortage of 18,000 tech specialists until 2028, and, for example, securing perspectives in future innovations. The tech industry's need for skills will not be met unless we attract more women to the industry. We have been working for several years and at several levels to contribute to greater gender equality. To highlight some important initiatives, a couple of years ago we launched Addera tech - Addera tech is a campaign and website that collects links and tips on study and career choices. It aims to inspire people to add tech by highlighting people already working in the tech industry. Role models and ambassadors are important to generate interest and inspiration. There are so many different career opportunities and jobs in the tech industry and several different paths to tech jobs, as the campaign and our member companies show. 

- We also have the Tech Manifesto, which is aimed at leaders in the tech industry who want to show that diversity and inclusion are a given for an attractive employer and for good leadership. Through the manifesto, the industry is putting its foot down on a common set of values and a concrete vision. In these times when the world is shaking in this area, it becomes even more important to highlight our values. The manifesto is signed by our board and more than a hundred other business leaders in the tech industry and we would like to see it inspire other industries as well, it benefits us all. 

- Finally, we would like to highlight TechSverige's checklist for gender equality. The checklist aims to make it easier for all of us in our daily work and consists of a number of best practices for how different roles within the companies (CEO, HR, communication, etc.) should act to ensure that more women both stay and develop in tech. It is in many ways obvious things, which so often unfortunately are forgotten or not done. Sometimes we all need a checklist to make it easier for ourselves to live as we learn, then there is Checklist for gender equality in tech - TechSverige 

What role do labor law and legislation play in creating a more equal labor market in tech?  

- Huge! The labor market in Sweden is not gender equal and we must work to change this. Giving women and men equal opportunities in the workplace requires active gender equality work at both legislative level and in our companies.  

- Women have a lower median salary than men in the tech industry and we see the same pattern in the labor market in general. Employers need to work on individual, differentiated and objective wage setting to promote equal pay. Through legislation, employers will be obliged to work on this issue through the so-called Pay Transparency Directive. According to the directive, employers must work actively to ensure that they have pay structures that ensure equal pay for equal work or work of equal value. In addition, the pay survey must also include an assessment of women's and men's pay development in connection with, for example, parental leave compared to the pay development of employees who perform the same or equivalent work and who have not taken equivalent leave. 

- For example, we know that women still take the majority of parental leave and the most days off work to care for a sick child. Parental leave often affects career and pay progression to the detriment of women. This is an example of how legislation aims to improve gender equality. Employers also have a great deal of influence by, for example, creating a permissive culture around parenthood and creating conditions for combining family and work. 

Looking ahead, how do you think the tech industry will evolve on gender equality issues in the next 5-10 years?

- The goal is to achieve gender parity in the industry by 2030. To achieve this, efforts are needed at all levels and by many actors, we must increase the proportion of women who choose IT education, which includes increasing the interest of girls already in primary school, but we must also ensure that our industry is an attractive employer, for everyone. 

- Today, we see that there is a growing awareness of the importance of diversity and gender equality, both from companies and within the industry in general. This is positive and something that is important for us to achieve the goal. But we also see that the trend towards change is slow and the tech world has traditionally been very male-dominated, which means that there are still structural barriers. Nevertheless, we believe in a continued positive trend where we as an industry continue to work towards a more equal industry, these are issues where we as a nation have a strong interest in succeeding. 

And finally - why should you go into tech? 

- The tech industry is one of the most attractive sectors in Swedish working life, with secure employment, a good working environment and great development opportunities. The industry is constantly growing and has become an increasingly important part of society, both for our economic development and for how we live our lives. It's a chance to work on innovations that impact the future and contribute to smart solutions to the challenges we face. Whether you are interested in technology, creativity or problem solving, there are many different routes into the industry. And with demand for skills remaining high, there are great opportunities for those who want to make the leap into tech.