(British Council & HERizons, 2024-11-04) Kimani, Florence, Dr Miriam Mbah-Amanze, Ngoasong & Kinyajui
Gender inequality in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector is a global issue that limits the participation of women, contributing to a persistent gap in the industry's workforce and leadership roles. Women remain significantly underrepresented despite the growing demand for digital skills and technological innovation. The underrepresentation of women in ICT can be traced to multiple root causes, starting with educational barriers. From a young age, societal stereotypes often discourage girls from pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, which are foundational to ICT. Girls are less likely to receive encouragement or resources to develop their technical skills, which leads to fewer women enrolling in ICT-related courses at the higher education level.