SA slightly ahead as women find their way into tech
Afew years ago, the technology sector’s gender gap was highlighted by the South African organisation WomeninTechZA with a single statistic: only 23% of tech jobs in this country were held by women.
But, as revealing as that statistic may have been, it in fact suggested South Africa was ahead of the curve.
In April, PwC released a report, 16 Nudges for More #WomenInTech, showing that women hold only 19% of tech-related jobs at the top 10 global technology companies. Yet women occupy 28% of leadership positions at the companies.
In specialised areas, the imbalance is even more stark. A study released by Forrester Research in February showed that women represent just 11% of cybersecurity professionals worldwide — and that the industry is projected to have
1.8 million unfilled jobs globally by 2022.
Russian cybersecurity leader Kaspersky Lab looked into the reasons behind this statistic, with a report called Beyond 11 Percent: A study into why women are not entering cybersecurity. It found that the lack of women in the industry generates a snowball effect: the fewer women in IT security, the more likely women considering the field may lose interest in it.
But it is precisely this industry that is showing light at the end of the tunnel in South Africa.
Global leader in enterprise data security Trend Micro is about to relaunch its business in this country, and has recruited more women than men. While the numbers are small, they are highly symbolic. The company has grown its staff complement in sub-Saharan Africa from just seven in January to 35 this month, with a 60-40 split between women and men.
The new vice-president for the region, Indi Siriniwasa, left a similar legacy in Australia and New Zealand, where he headed the enterprise and government division in a $100-million (R1.3-billion) business.
“When I joined Trend Micro in Australia, the staff was mainly male,” he says. “But we have been rebalancing it, and now have 50% female management, with 36% of the workforce female. It’s important that we recognise it’s not about being male or female, but having the right person in the job.”
But it’s not always quite as simple as that, he acknowledges: “It does start with males recognising there has to be a balance.”
All hires in South Africa, he says, are focused on government and commercial enterprise customers.
“A lot of engineers have been hired, as well as cloud specialists. Our global market leadership hasn’t been done justice in South Africa, and we see a lot of opportunity, not just for business, but also for educating the customer base.”
Siriniwasa points out that the roles may be tech-heavy, but incorporate legal, business and soft skills.
“You have to look at the entire business posture, so it’s not only an IT responsibility any more, but a business responsibility. Failing to understand that is a massive business risk.”
The complexities of cybersecurity and data governance will only grow and skills will be in high demand. In South Africa, women will be welcome in tech.
Cybersecurity is one industry showing light at the end of the tunnel for gender parity