Malta remains at par with general global trends where only around six per cent of female students choose a career in IT-related subjects.
“The lack of disposition towards introducing technology and exposing young girls to more adventurous toys in the same way that boys are, continues to be one of the main reasons behind the very low percentage of females attracted to STEM subjects that could eventually lead them to take up a career in IT,” said Mary Downing, Microsoft Innovation Centre manager, during a DigiGirlz Day hosted this week at the MIC with the theme ‘Girls in STEM’ which saw the participation of around 90 female students from different schools.
“At Microsoft, we want to support and empower more women to take part in groundbreaking tech projects brought about by their expertise in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields. Digigirlz is helping us bridge the gender gap in the industry through education, awareness, and innovation,” added Angela Micallef, Microsoft’s philanthropies lead in Malta.
The event was organised in collaboration with ESkills Malta Foundation and included workshops in robotics and AI, Lego Mindstorm and gamification, driven by Paul Cassar from IMS Ltd (Lego Education), Kevin Spiteri of Level Academy and Annalise Duca.
Carm Cachia from eSkills Malta Foundation mentioned that recently a set of guidelines was launched by eSkills aimed at all stakeholders who may have concerns about the low percentage of women in the ICT sector. Besides providing a short summary of facts and statistics that describe some issues that women face in the ICT sector, the document discusses possible reasons why women are underrepresented in this area and suggests guidelines that may be adopted for increasing and retaining women in the ICT sector.
“eSkills Malta Foundation will soon be initiating a further study this year focussing on the local scene to be in a position to provide a statistical snapshot on the local situation related to women’s participation in the digital sector,” Cachia said.
Microsoft’s Digigirlz programme gives middle and high school girls opportunities to learn about careers in technology, connect with Microsoft employees, and participate in hands-on computer and technology workshops. In 2020, the Digigirlz programme will turn 20 years old.
For more information visit https://eskills.org.mt/en/womeninict/Pages/Guidelines-to-Increase-and-Retain-Women-in-ICT.aspx