78% of large organizations worldwide admit that they have different salaries conditioned by gender for jobs in the technical and technological profession, with men having a higher salary by an average of 28%.
The issue of gender equality has become very relevant in recent years everywhere. However, there are still differences in the treatment of women compared to men in the workplace. Their representation varies from industry to industry, but one of the most obvious imbalances occurs in the engineering profession, ie with employees in the technical and technological industry. World statistics show that in 14% of business companies women have a lower salary than their male counterparts for the same job and the same responsibilities, while only in 8% of companies there is no such gap in income in terms of gender.
The treatment of women – engineers in the IT industry in our country
There is no more detailed research in our industry that would provide statistics that reflect the gap. However, women who are involved in this industry and who have achieved significant success, testify that such a gap is not as pronounced as in the Western world. Filomena Pljakovska Asprovska, Chief Executive Director and Chairman of the Board of Casys AD, is a woman who came to this position by building a career in the IT sector from system administrator to CEO. As an electrical engineer working continuously in the industry, she has a lot to say on the subject regarding gender representation. “Traditionally, women in our country have always worked, built successful careers, were educated at the desired faculties, without frequent roadblocks due to discrimination. During my studies at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, we were little girls, but I never felt any different treatment from the professors compared to my male colleagues. I now work in a company in which both management and colleagues nurture an environment that is balanced and provides equal conditions for both men and women for their professional and career development. 95% of the staff are male and female engineers, and we have never had a situation where someone’s success and contribution to the work was valued differently.”
Why is gender balance and diversity in companies good for business?
Research shows that companies with gender equality that are open to greater diversity outperform their industry competitors by as much as 34%, which is less open to gender diversity and balance. One of the surest ways to get a company to the top is through actively promoting gender equality. Quality people want to work in companies that constantly emphasize their gender equality policy. “Offer employees access and the opportunity to enjoy the same rewards, resources and opportunities whether they are a woman or a man. Current and future employees, and of course clients, will recognize the efforts for gender equality and will reward you with loyalty and growth of your company,” said Pljakovska-Asprovska. Companies that strive for equal representation and that actively work to close the gap in compensation, rewards and treatment of women in the technology industry are always cautious and never favor one gender: “Of the three CEOs, two are women, but we have never looked at the representation of men and women as a number, but the emphasis is on the quality and the results we achieve. We always review job advertisements to make sure that both men and women are equally encouraged to apply for the position. We check the job descriptions and job requirements to make sure they did not favor one category over another. We continuously offer trainings to which all employees have equal access. ”
What is the world doing in regards to this topic?
There are organizations that encourage girls to enter the world of technology as the fastest growing industry with huge potential and innovation. Successful women, not only in the world but also in our country, constantly motivate girls to follow their dream and enter this innovative industry. Pljakovska-Asprovska adds: “In order to be able to keep up with the times, we need all the resources. Whether they are girls or boys, each individual carries their own views, opinions and ideas, and they are all equally important to be able to create solutions that will be accepted by all. My advice to girls who want to become part of the IT industry is not to give up, to be persistent. There are things to be learned and obstacles to overcome, but it all pays off.”