EC tells women tech is ‘too important to be left to men'

The European Commission (EC) has urged women to consider the technology sector as an ideal place for a career, despite the fact that at present only nine in 100 app developers in Europe are female.

EC vice president Neelie Kroes said the statistic was worrying and that the industry had to do more to appeal to women. "Tech is too important to be left to men alone. Every week I meet more and more inspiring women in tech,” she said.

“ICT is no longer for the geeky few – it is cool, and it is the future. Only nine percent of app developers are women? Come on! Give coding a try, see how fun it can be."

The EC also drew on research from last October, which showed that only 19 percent of ICT managers are women, compared with 45 percent in other sectors. Also, just 19 percent of ICT entrepreneurs are women, compared with 54 percent in other sectors.

Overall less than 30 percent of the ICT workforce is female, the EC reported.

To combat this the EC has launched a new initiative to inspire women into tech called ICT Ladies, which includes testimonials from females who have made successful careers in the sector.

"We wanted to provide a platform for women to tell their stories about getting ahead in tech. And there are so many success stories out there – so please share yours and help us to inspire the next generation," added Kroes.

Getting women into the tech sector has long been a key issue of the EC's digital agenda under Kroes, with several calls for more women to work in the sector over the past few years.

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