Kolkata, West Bengal, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India: Delve into the history of computing and one will find that women played integral roles, in large numbers, in the World War II war effort in the United States. As men were drafted into fight, many ‘computers’ (those who computed manually) during WWII were women, frequently with degrees in mathematics. However, since then there has been a steady decline in women in technology.
Studies show that only a third of the IT workforce is women, and the number is dwindling. The gender gap in new age, in-demand, and high-paying skills like data science is even sharper. Some international studies put women in as little as 10% of the tech industry’s executive leadership positions, compared to 23% across all industries.
On the other hand, multiple studies conclude that diversity, including gender diversity, is just plain good for business. In 2019, the top quarter of companies for gender diverse executive teams were 25% more likely to have above-average profitability than their counterparts.
Given the digital world one lives in today, it becomes even more important that women participate in larger numbers in the tech and data domains for the following reasons:
- Digital is largely about tech and data – people proficient in tech and data are poised to play leadership roles in shaping the world and women need to be a part of this leadership play
- Women are acutely under-represented in the fields of tech and data, despite global and national conversations on gender diversity in the workforce – and this has to change
- The world needs more tech and data talent – women need to fill this gap and drive sustainable careers and financial independence
- Decades of research suggests that diversity leads to enhanced innovation and problem solving – more women in tech implies better solutions to global problems
In order to encourage and support women participation in tech, data, and management careers, Praxis Business School has launched the Praxis Women in Tech (WiT) Scholarship Program. This is in line with the belief that gender diversity in the workforce, brings immense value to the organization, the economy, and the society. As a part of the Praxis WiT Scholarship program, a woman candidate who gets selected to any of the prestigious PG programs* at Praxis and fulfills the WiT eligibility* criteria, will win a Scholarship worth Rs 1 Lakh.
*Click here for the details of the Praxis Women in Technology Scholarship program
Praxis Business School is driven by the purpose of creating resources that will lead India’s transformation into the digital world. It offers the 2-year full-time AICTE approved PGDM and postgraduate, full-time programs in Data Science, Data Engineering, and Cyber Security. The Praxis PGDM is ranked respectively 2 and 6 among PGDM programs in Kolkata and Eastern India. The Praxis Data Science and Cyber Security programs are ranked respectively 2 and 3 among full-time programs in the country.
Disclaimer: This content is distributed by Business Wire India.