With increasing numbers of females entering the sector as engineers, programmers, designers, and entrepreneurs, women are playing a growingly more significant role in the field of information and communication technology (ICT).
Despite the progress being made, women are still underrepresented in ICT, particularly in leadership positions. This is partly due to societal and cultural factors that discourage girls and women from pursuing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. Addressing this gender gap is essential for building a more diverse and inclusive workforce in the ICT industry, as well as for advancing innovation and economic growth.
New research tells us that mentoring, education and the introduction of supportive policy can assist in the removal of obstacles to ensure that women have an equal chance to succeed.
On the occasion of 8th March, International Women’s Day, we had a discussion with Maja Podbevšek, IT Architect at Flint SI and Nina Hudnik, Managing Director at Flint SI, about their career development, roles and also about how they see the current and the future position of women in the ICT sector.
Passion for the industry that makes a difference
“Since I began working in the ICT sector about 15 years ago, I have been astounded by the rapid advancement of technology in fields such as aerospace, medical and ICT,” says Nina, the Managing Director of Flint SI, Flint’s entity in Slovenia. She leads a team of more than 60 technical professionals and specialises in Learning Services.
It has always interested me how engineers and other professionals in the field use their knowledge and skills, but even more so how these individuals together can employ their abilities to create something greater than themselves, to make a difference for the better in the world. I’ve always been fortunate to be around such fantastic people, and I’ve gained a lot of knowledge from my co-workers over the years.”
“The most essential leadership lesson I’ve learned is that women don’t have to adjust their leadership style to conform to preconceived ideas about what leaders should look like, or compare themselves to men. Competence and a willingness to change, develop, and evolve are crucial.”
Nina Hudnik, Managing Director at Flint SI
Maja’s interest in the technical field can also be traced down to her childhood: “I was always more of a practical kid. My favourite subject in elementary (and high) school was computer science, so it made sense to continue my study in that field. I finished my education by majoring in telecommunications at the University of Electrical Engineering in Ljubljana. I’ve been working as a networking engineer since I graduated, concentrating on wireless networks for the last couple of years.”
What still drives Maja at her day-to-day work?
“It may sound like a cliché but keeping clients happy while also recognising that your effort helps someone else or can make their job easier is the greatest motivation. As technology is advancing and changing very fast, there’s no fear that you would get stuck professionally. It is very promising, and very challenging at the same time. We will need to keep on learning for sure!”
Women in ICT today – small but firm steps
How do Nina and Maja see the current position of women in the ICT sector, especially in leadership positions?
“If I compare the number of women in the ICT sector to back when I started I definitely see a significant increase. Like I’ve mentioned before, even though the ICT sector can still be perceived as a male-dominated sector, I’m noticing that many companies are now appointing female leaders to the top positions,« observes Nina. “This makes me feel really hopeful that things are evolving and that the right skill set instead of gender will play a bigger role in the future.”
Maja shares Nina’s optimism: “It is advancing. I recall that there were hardly any women around when I first started my profession or even when I first enrolled in university. Despite recent developments, there is unquestionably still room for improvement. I think that norms and standards have evolved; ICT is no longer seen as a field that is exclusively for men, and there are initiatives encouraging more women to pursue careers in technology at the beginning of their studies (something that was still developing back in my times).“
What could be done to encourage more girls to decide on a career in the ICT sector?
“I believe in leading by example and making the stories of the successful women in the industry visible in public: through interviews, conferences, and social media. I think that a realistic picture should be offered, outlining potential roadblocks and how to get through them,« affirms Maja. “Gender should not be a barrier for anyone who is interested in technology, enjoys learning new things, wants to use technology to better the world, etc.”
“The change has to start by encouraging girls to explore their technical skills, learn, and work on them, just as we should encourage boys to explore other more (for now) female-perceived occupations. It’s the change in mindset that will drive women’s leadership positions in all industries, not only in the ICT sector,” adds Nina.
If you’d like to become a team member and participate in all that Flint has to offer, we’d like to invite you and anyone that has the relevant skills, ambitions and curiosity to contact us at [email protected]
Get in touch, we are looking forward to hearing from you!
