Pathways into a Gendered Occupation: Brazilian Women in IT

摘要

Although Sao Paulo is the hub of a growing technology industry in Brazil, female participation in Sao Paulo's male-dominated IT sector has decreased over recent decades. Reasons for this trend are complex and research on this topic in Brazil is limited. In an effort to learn about barriers to entry and retention for women in IT careers in Brazil 10 interviews were conducted in Sao Paulo with women working in information technology (IT) careers. Findingsfrom this study include: 1) ITjobs are considered appropriate for some Brazilian women, but those women are sometimes regarded as abnormal, and technical programs and workplaces are mainly occupied by men, 2) Brazilian women feel constrained by the expectation that they be primary caretakers of domestic responsibilities, and 3) most upper-level leadership positions in IT are held by men. This study is an initial effort on which further research can expand.