Council proposes measures to improve gender equality in IT sector

In late June 2000, a government-appointed Gender Equality Council for Transport and Information Technology (IT) presented a report on gender equality in the IT sector. The Council finds that IT remains a male-dominated area and makes a number of recommendations to rectify the situation, including legislation to increase women's representation on the boards of IT companies.

On 28 June 2000, the Gender Equality Council for Transport and Information Technology (Jämställdhetsrådet för transporter och IT, Jämit) delivered its second report (Jämställdhet och IT SOU 2000:58) to the Swedish government. The report confirms, among other matters, that the information technology (IT) sector in Sweden is a male domain in spite of the fact that IT is used almost as much by women as by men. It is even suggested that some kind of priority may be accorded to men in employment in the IT sector, reflecting a pattern that exists in other technological areas, where male graduates dominate.

The Gender Equality Council for Transport and IT was established in October 1999. According to the government directive establishing the Council (direktiv 1999:83) its task is to examine various gender issues within the transport and IT sectors in day-to-day terms as well as in the longer run. The Council should: propose measures on increasing gender equality in these sectors and on how to finance them; consider issues of education, regional balance, security, safety and quality of working life, along with skill development and recruitment, since these involve aspects of great importance from a gender perspective; and carry out information and consulting functions. The Council's work is to be completed by 30 June 2001, possibly resulting in tangible proposals to improve the gender situation in the IT and transport sectors. However, the June 2000 report already formulates some recommendations for the government to consider, relating to the IT sector.

Reporting and review of legislation

The Council recommends that the government should commission the public authorities concerned to develop statistics on aspects of IT from the viewpoint of gender equality. The government should require that all public authorities examine in their annual reports the consequences in terms of gender equality of increased use of IT. This reporting should describe these consequences both within the authority concerned and in the area of society in which the authority operates. On this basis, according to the Council, the government may carry out analyses and propose measures.

Furthermore, it is recommended that the government should immediately initiate a review of the relevant legislation in order to increase the participation by women on the boards of IT companies.

The report recommends that the government should, in preparing for all ministerial conferences during its Presidency of the European Union (in the first half of 2001), allow scope for the inclusion on the agenda of the development of IT, and its implications for gender equality. Both these issues affect all sectors of society, and it is seen as important that work aiming at developing IT takes issues of gender equality into account.

Change of approach in education

The Council recommends a change of approach in the education system, at all levels from compulsory school education to university. The change of approach should be towards a general philosophy of gender equality. The government should initiate an evaluation of teaching materials from a gender perspective. Aspects of gender- and technology-related issues should form part of all teachers' training and of IT and other technology-based education. The objectives of all teacher-training courses should emanate from and promote aspects of gender equality.

Attitude to women in IT

The Council commissioned, for the purposes of its report, a small-scale survey on female and male attitudes and needs related to IT. The study (SOU 2000:31), which mainly consists of a compilation of results from various other surveys, illustrates the gender situation in the Swedish education system and in the IT sector, and finds that there are clear differences between men and women. For example, in 1998 the percentage of women in the workforces of stock market-quoted IT firms was low, at 20%, while women filled only 6% of leading positions in IT companies. Technology is found to be a male-dominated area by culture and tradition. Men in the IT business tend to recruit other men and thus pass over competent women, the Council states.

One explanation put forward by the employers to justify this situation is a difficulty in recruiting women with a technical degree. The technology-based education in universities and other institutions is heavily dominated by male students and there are only a few women graduates to choose from.

Commentary

There is a need for a debate on equality and the "information society", the Council's report shows. University education in IT - as well as all other technical education - must change its male orientation and become more attractive for female students. However, this is not all that simple and changes have to take place at several levels. The Council seems, however, aware of the complications and has started its activities by suggesting legislative support to place women on the boards of IT companies.

Sweden has at various times been praised for its high level of equality between men and women in working life. The assumption of equality is, however, not in the least valid in technological areas. The Gender Equality Council for Transport and IT has a huge mission to pursue, which will not end on June 2001. One idea would perhaps be to make it permanent. The powerful and wide-ranging Equality Opportunities Ombudsman (Jämställdhetsombudsmannen) could then be relieved of some of its numerous tasks. (Annika Berg, Arbetslivsinstitutet)