New community inspires women to pursue IT careers

A nonprofit trade association has launched a new initiative in hopes of expanding IT career opportunities for women and igniting their interest for jobs in the industry.

The Advancing Women in IT Community aims to empower women with knowledge and skills to help them pursue successful IT careers and inspire them to choose IT as their profession, CompTIA said in a release Feb. 29.

The group will serve as information resource and provide mentorship and networking opportunities. It will also develop member-driven initiatives and programs, and actively work with issues related to legislation involving women and careers.

Although women have seen many breakthroughs in the workplace, “the truth is our progress has stalled in IT," said Nancy Hammervik, CompTIA’s senior vice president of industry relations.

Research by the National Center for Women & Information Technology shows that women composed 36 percent of IT professionals in 1991, but the number of technology jobs held by women has declined since, Hammervik said, citing unconscious bias, gender pay gaps and lack of role models as contributing factors.

The community, which launches with members in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and South Africa, is led by chair Sandy Ashworth, global director of channel relations and warranty for Unisys Corporation, and vice chair Jean Mork Bredenson, president of SERVICE 800, Inc.

The CompTIA Advancing Women in IT Community is hosting a webinar titled "Insights from a Leader and Her Path to Success," featuring Marci Meaux, vice president if sales enablement project and ACT at Cisco Systems, Inc. The free webinar is slated for 1 p.m., March 14.