Time is running out – the future is being created now

The pervasive influence of digitization on societal development is all-encompassing and will continue to fundamentally reshape the human way of life. Alarming, however, is the disheartening fact that scarcely 30 percent of women are represented within the tech industry, a proportion that has regrettably dwindled in recent years. This underrepresentation exerts a deleterious impact on the entirety of society, engendering risks and instability for the future of our infrastructure.

– Equality and diversity assume paramount significance across all sectors. Nevertheless, what distinctly characterizes the issue within the realm of information technology is its profound capacity to influence and govern the quotidian existence of individuals. Technology and information technology sculpt the very fabric of the society we inhabit, and digitization constitutes an indispensable bedrock across all sectors. Presently, there exists hardly a soul unaltered by the ongoing metamorphosis driven by digitization. Consequently, an imbalanced information technology sector jeopardizes the formation of an equitable and all-encompassing social order and infrastructure, contends Anna Edstedt, head of the gender equality platform Q by Consid.

During the symposium titled “Time is Elapsing – The Genesis of Future Infrastructure,” Anna Edstedt, alongside Marielle Sterner, Children and Youth Officer at Datatjej, and Laura Ingemarsson, Writer and Social Commentator, embarked on a discourse that gazed into the future, shedding light on the pressing matter at hand.

The prevailing consensus among the panelists lies in the multifarious reasons behind the existing gender disparity within the industry. Primarily, it revolves around deficient communication pertaining to the true nature of information technology and tech, as well as the systematic exclusion of women from positions of power.

– Women find themselves, yet again, relegated to the periphery when it comes to wielding authority. This historical recurrence of marginalization is not unique to the present context; rather, it resounds across numerous spheres. The current state of marginalization experienced by women in relation to the information technology industry effectively diminishes their influence, asserts Marielle Sterner, Children and Youth Officer at Datatjej.

Laura Ingemarsson emphasizes that one of the decisive factors in rectifying this course lies in cultivating a broader understanding of who possesses the capacity to operate within the realms of information technology and tech.

– Pervasive misconceptions paint a picture of information technology and development as confined to solitary confines, submerged in subterranean depths, accompanied by the incessant flicker of neon-lit keyboards. The prevailing belief deems this domain exorbitantly intricate, necessitating years of advanced education. However, the veracity of such a belief remains dubious. In truth, a multitude of individuals would be inclined to venture into this industry were the prevailing understanding of its essence to expand, opines Laura Ingemarsson.

Anna Edstedt underscores that earnestly addressing the issue of gender equality within the realms of technology and information technology stands as a pivotal prerequisite for steering the current trajectory toward a more favorable course.

– Collective engagement assumes paramount significance. The men presently vested with power must welcome and appreciate the value of striving toward heightened diversity and gender equality. However, it is equally imperative for educational institutions, policymakers, and the broader society to apprehend the criticality of cultivating a gender-equitable information technology industry. Failure to do so will impede our progress, Anna Edstedt affirms.