Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1105939
18.04.19 6 INNOVATION A workforce shortage in the ICT sector could be remedied by higher female participation in the industry, Silvio Schembri believes. e parliamentary secretary for the digital economy said the lack of female ICT profession- als originated from a multitude of complex historical obstacles which have seen women strug- gle to overcome educational and labour hurdles. " e main stumbling blocks which girls and women have had to overcome for genera- tions on end, are gender bias and socio-cultural constructs, which at diff erent life stages dissuade girls and women from taking up science, technology, engineering and mathematics studies," Schembri said. He was speaking at the launch of the Women on IT initiative earlier this week. e initiative seeks to identify key ways to increase female participation and empower women and girls across tech, start-ups and busi- nesses. e forum is also expected to serve as a platform of idea generation on how female par- ticipation could be encouraged and put under the spotlight. Schembri said that higher fe- male participation in the sector could help resolve the labour shortage problem currently present in the industry. "We face a substantial defi cit in the skills and competency levels of ICT professionals, a scenario which we believe with higher female participation in the industry, could be reme- died," he said. European wide labour statis- tics show that women account for 52% of the continental pop- ulation but only hold 15% of ICT-related jobs. On the do- mestic front, the same statistics reveal a stark reality. "In Malta, this fi gure is down to a paltry 2.7%. is is a ma- jor conundrum which needs to be addressed immediately," Schembri said. He called for greater aware- ness of the gender bias that exists in homes, schools, and workplaces. "We cannot expect a girl to enter a predominantly male-dominated fi eld without the necessary support and rel- evant education. We must start to fully equip young women with self-confi dence, learning, and training," he said. Schembri insisted that "toxic gender stereotypes" should be ditched if girls were to succeed. "As parents, mentors and educators we cannot contin- ue to push girls solely in one direction, that of occupying traditional roles as carers or career paths which we errone- ously believe are more suited to girls," Schembri said. Malta made great strides in embracing the changes emer- gent technologies have brought about, he added. "With more female participation, we can only further reaffi rm our lead- ing position on the global stage." Schembri also made refer- ence to the recently launched National eSkills Strategy, a framework which will address the need for continuous pro- fessional development, upskill- ing specialisation and retention of the workforce, the fi rst of its kind in the EU. "As a government, we seek to equip our younger generation with the necessary capabilities to embark on a fully-fl edged career within the digital sector," he said. Beata Young, Founder of Women on IT said that elimi- nating such obstacle would be a 'win-win' for all. "Our digital future depends on women just as much as men, and that is where Wom- en on IT builds value for better business and better opportuni- ty for women and Malta." Women on IT is supported by the Malta Business Network and other key stakeholders in the tech fi eld. 'Tearing down industry gender barriers e Women On IT forum is expected to highlight ways to increase female participation in the ICT world LIAM CARTER Parliamentary Secretary Silvio Schembri with Beata Young