B.C. employs fewer women in the tech industry than the Canadian average, study says

Whichever way you slice the data, the B.C. tech industry is on the up.

Between 2015 and 2016—the last year that government data is available—revenue in the sector increased by 9.2 percent. The number of businesses grew by 33 percent to 10,236, and workers’ salaries in tech organizations clocked in at 85 percent more than the average B.C. wage.

Not everyone, however, is benefitting from those gains.

This week, Women in Tech World and the Discovery Foundation released their gender equality roadmap report. Digging into female presence in the B.C. technology industry, the document shows that women continue to be underrepresented in one of the province’s fastest growing and most profitable sectors.

Data from the report shows that women represent 54 percent of British Columbia’s post-secondary graduates in science and technology—a victory for lobbyists who have pushed to increase training of women in technical fields. Despite those gains, however, most graduates never make it to a job in their area of study. Of B.C.’s STEM workforce, women make up only 15 to 20 percent—a number that is well below the Canadian average of 25 percent.

After surveying hundreds of women in the Greater Vancouver tech industry, the report highlights a number of roadblocks for those within the sector. Bro-culture, sexism, and isolation in the workplace—particularly as women climb the ladder—were described by survey participants as areas that the industry could improve. Another barrier was the high cost of living and the price of daycare—both of which disproportionately affect women. A final issue was the perceived attitude among male employees that there is no problem with gender diversity in the workplace, despite very low female representation.

But it’s not all bad news. With women often frustrated by career advancement in established technology firms, a number of participants reported that they’ve managed to bypass institutional bias by becoming their own boss. British Columbia has the highest percentage of women-owned small businesses in Canada, with founders able to define their own work hours and environment.

The report also spotlights areas where the Greater Vancouver tech industry is excelling in encouraging female participation. Many individuals surveyed reported a supportive and welcoming community of women in tech and their advocates, with many grassroots societies offering help and guidance. Quality events put on by companies such as Microsoft also got a nod, as did the various meetups and networking opportunities designed to support and help women to develop and grow their careers.

The document also offers suggestions of where the local industry could improve. Education was pegged as a key recommendation, with participants calling for mandatory technology teaching in both elementary and secondary schools, including coding. The lack of female role models continues to be an area where B.C. falls down, so the report outlines a need for greater representation of women instructors in computer science, and a requirement for teachers, guidance counsellors, and parents to learn how to encourage girls in math and coding early. Adopting these points, the study suggests, will help change the typical view of the tech industry as exclusively for men and techie-types.

Finally, the report details how industry could play a greater role in attracting female talent. Participants called on human resources departments to implement management training on diversity and inclusion, and to provide more comprehensive parental or care support to allow everyone smooth transitions at different times in their careers. The document raises how the gender wage gap can only be closed through greater transparency in pay—much like countries including the U.K., Australia, and Iceland—in order to achieve equal pay for equal work. On a practical level, female employees asked for more robust family support policies such as breastfeeding breaks and rooms.

The reasons for achieving a greater level of diversity and inclusion in the workplace are economic as well as social. Numerous studies—most notably that published by McKinsey in 2015—have revealed that hiring more women, and promoting them to leadership positions, correlates with significantly higher profits. Reports show that having a diverse upper-level management leads to better decision-making, which allows companies to create better products, and shape a healthier culture. In addition, women-led companies have been shown to perform three times better than those with a male CEO.

Kate Wilson is the technology editor at The Georgia Straight. Follow her on Twitter @KateWilsonSays