Female IT revolution under way

Ashwini Nanjappa has been working in IT at Salford city council for 11 years

A WOMAN who leads an IT management team wants to inspire young girls to follow in her footsteps by pursuing careers in male-dominated industries.

Ashwini Nanjappa says she is determined to ‘tear down’ gender-defined roles in areas such as technology.

Technology is one of Salford’s most important industries with Artificial Intelligence and gaming representing the ‘big growth sectors’ in the city. And Salford is where 38-year-old Ashwini now leads the enterprise document management team in the council’s IT department, where she has been working for 11 years.

But far too few female students enter the industry, according to the council.

Salford is now the first local authority in England to back Tech She Can, a national initiative to increase the number of women working in technology by inspiring and educating young girls and women to get into tech careers.

Salford schools will have access to lesson plans aimed at boosting girls’ interest and participation in technology.

“Starting from Year 10, the council wants to work with schools and colleges to help young people find the right work experience and training programmes. The council also wants ‘bootcamps’ to act as a ‘stepping stone’ into Media City and offer places directly to people who are in under-represented groups.

The council’s IT team is made up 72 members of staff of whom 65 per cent are men, with an entirely male leadership team – a ‘hangover’ from a recent restructure.

Ashwini said: “When we talk about women in tech, we always talk about ‘barriers.’

“Maybe words like that send across a message. Girls have to see beyond those words and just go for it if they’re interested.

“When they hear ‘male-dominated’ they might feel intimidated as well they’ll be like, ‘I don’t want to be the only woman in the room.’

“They have to look beyond those words and if they’re interested, there’s nothing to stop them.”

Ashwini says flexible hours and the option to work from home - long before the pandemic left no alternative - allow her to take on childcare duties.

Debbie Brown, from the council, said: it would also be a chance to ‘bust some of those myths’ about tech. She said: “Don’t discount yourself for reasons that aren’t

actually true.”

Salford council director Debbie Brown