A South African Perspective of the International Discourse about Women in Information Technology

摘要

Currently there is a declining participation of women in Information Technology (IT) education and profession internationally. This article builds on international research -the international discourse about women in IT - by performing a critical interpretive analysis of the South African situation. The aim is to understand if South African women experience similar levels of career problems in the IT industry compared to international trends. In the analysis the experiences of women and the context of the international IT industry is taken into consideration. The authors furthermore investigate what attracts women in South Africa to the IT industry. Data was collected and analysed from women working in the IT industry in South Africa by means of an anonymous online questionnaires consisting of open- and close-ended questions. The authors critically challenge the results from the interpretive analysis. This study can be used to gain more insight and understanding of the current situation in South Africa, but it can also contribute to communities such as feminists, academia, practitioners or governments in the creation of an emancipation theory or a series of interventions to improve the situation for women in the South African IT industry.