Careers in information and communication technology (ICT) are a buoyant and growing sector for employment, and a key economic factor underpinning both national and international development.  This growth in employment, however, has not led to a parallel increase in jobs for women in the ICT labour market, with the female to male ratio being particularly pronounced at senior levels.  In fact, with the general growth of job opportunities in the sector, women’s employment figures in advanced economies are in decline, which suggests that the issue is not just an entry level problem but may also be one of recruitment, retention, including making the ICT work environment more attractive, and lack of promotion of women within the sector. 
 
Attracting women and girls to consider careers in ICTs involves breaking the male geek stereotype, convincing media to develop storylines that include women characters that have ICT careers, encouraging and supporting girls pursuing math, science and technology studies and introducing innovative teaching methods.  Keeping women in the ICT pipeline requires companies’ commitment to recruit, retain and promote women.
 
The lack of women in tech careers has been well documented through ITU and other studies. The widespread adoption of International Girls in ICT Day has raised awareness of the issue on a global scale.  The time is ripe to move to the next stage of identifying solutions and implementation strategies.  This session will examine promising solutions for:

• Attracting girls and young women into the ICT education and career pipeline
• Using media to spark interest among girls and you women in ICT careers
• Creating communities of support for girls and young women in the ICT pipeline
• Changing the way math and computer science is taught to make it more attractive for women
• Making the ICT work environment more attractive to women
• Committing ICT companies to recruit, retain and promote women
• Using legal and other measures as a game changer   
• Changing mindsets at the highest levels, whether in the private sector or in political spheres