The gender imbalance in IT is an extremely divisive issue - this new global survey reveals the full extent of the division:

56% think the IT industry can survive without women whilst 44% believe it can’t

The full findings, based on 400 global IT professionals, show:

19% of those surveyed do not believe there is a shortage at all

Although 66% work in a department where less than a quarter of employees are female

The reasons cited for fewer women in IT range from:

36% of female respondents feel the shortage is down to a perception problem for women

27% of male respondents believe women don’t generally think in the way IT requires

51% of all respondents cited other reasons

In the “other” answers the male respondents were often very sympathetic to the difficulties of predominately male environments (“Hostile, unappealing and juvenile work environment”). Women tended to place more emphasis on their upbringing and the pressures of child rearing.   
 
The implications of this gender imbalance are highly debated:

16% overall think the unequal balance of women is positive (22% of men and 8% of women)

60% overall think it is negative

24% overall think it makes no difference

Kathryn Cave, Editor at IDG Connect said, “The shortage of women in core roles will always attract a lot of attention, but surely the issue here is not about the progression of women as a group but about whether women can have a positive impact on the most important industry of the twenty-first century.”

The full report, “Women in IT: Does the Shortage Matter?” is available here:
http://www.idgconnect.com/download/12918/women-it-does-shortage-matter?source=connect

IDG Connect has also produced a companion piece on “The IT People Report - Minds Behind the Machines: Skills, Progression and Leadership”:  http://www.idgconnect.com/download/12919/minds-behind-machines-skills-progression-leadership?source=connect

For more information please contact:
Kathryn Cave
[email protected]
+44 1784 210 337

About IDG Connect
IDG Connect is a division International Data Group (IDG), the world's largest technology media company. Established in 2005, it utilizes access to 38 million business decision makers’ details to unite technology and business marketers with relevant targets from any country in the world. Committed to engaging a disparate global IT audience with truly localized messaging, IDG Connect also publishes market specific thought leadership papers on behalf of its clients, and produces research for B2B marketers and business professionals worldwide.  For more information visit: http://www.idgconnect.com