Women in Cyprus and the European Union are virtually absent from jobs related to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as less than two in 10 employed in the industry are female.
According to data in the latest EU Gender Equality Index for 2020, put together by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), just 18.3% working as ICT specialists in Cyprus are women.
When it comes to scientists and engineers active in high-technology sectors in Cyprus, just 23.1% are women.
Women ICT graduates, however, are doing better with 29.8% of all graduates holding a degree in an ICT sector are women.
Cyprus also outperforms the EU averages with 29.8% of ICT graduates being women compared to 20.1% in the Union.
While women in Cyprus make up 18.3% of ICT specialists, the EU average stands at a lower 17.7%.
When it comes to scientists and engineers active in high-technology sectors, Cyprus women make up for 23.1%, above the EU average of 20%.
In a statement, EIGIE said: “One of the biggest problems holding back gender equality is segregation in education and work”.
This means that there is a concentration of either women or men in certain subjects or jobs.
“Despite efforts to tackle this issue, such as special initiatives to encourage women to study science, engineering or ICT, segregation has actually increased since 2010.
In the EU, only two out of ten ICT jobs are held by women. In the care sector, there is a lack of men. They make up just 15 % of workers in nursing, midwifery and personal care in health services,” said EIGE.
Commenting on the report’s findings, Helena Dalli, European Commissioner for Equality said that “Gender equality must be sought in all areas of life for all Europeans – regardless of their gender – to reach their full potential”.
She noted that the Gender Equality Index is a crucial tool in this quest as it tracks progress made by member states of the union.
“I congratulate those countries that have improved their score over the past year. Nonetheless, there is still a long road ahead in many aspects, particularly in the digital world.
As our present and future are increasingly digital, we need to ensure that women and girls occupy their fair share of this sector and are encouraged to contribute towards its growth,” said Dalli.
