Continuing the discourse of women in information technology : a South African perspective

Abstract

Currently, there is a worldwide decline in the participation of women in the information technology (IT) profession and education. This article continues the existing discourse on women in IT by discussing the South African domestic and IT work environments. The aim is to understand whether South African women experience similar levels of career problems in the IT industry as their international counterparts. Using critical interpretive analysis, we used the experiences of 48 women working in the private sector IT firms to investigate not only what attracts women in South Africa to the IT industry but also what discourages them from following a career in this field. The data were collected by means of an anonymous online questionnaire consisting of open- and close-ended Currently, there is a worldwide decline in the participation of women in the information technology (IT) profession and education. This article continues the existing discourse on women in IT by discussing the South African domestic and IT work environments. The aim is to understand whether South African women experience similar levels of career problems in the IT industry as their international counterparts. Using critical interpretive analysis, we used the experiences of 48 women working in the private sector IT firms to investigate not only what attracts women in South Africa to the IT industry but also what discourages them from following a career in this field. The data were collected by means of an anonymous online questionnaire consisting of open- and close-ended questions. This study provides an insight into the impact of domestic influences on women in the IT industry in South Africa. It also contributes to communities, such as, feminists, academia, practitioners, or governments, in the creation of an emancipation theory or a series of interventions to improve the situation for women in the South African IT industry.