Cases & Voices

Although history shows us that great technological achievements over the years and around the world have been conquered and discovered by women, even today giving voice and space to the female audience in the area of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a challenge.

(Source: RNP) This subject was the theme of one of the panels carried out by women who chose the ICT as a profession and who, during the RNP 2020 Forum, discussed their trajectories and the common points they had, such as the cultural and social barriers of a mostly male environment.

ICT: “an area so lacking in the presence of women”

Carla Pires, director of IT at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rio Grande do Sul (IFSul), started her speech on the panel with a key phrase: “The IT sector is an area so lacking in the presence of women”. The moderator of the panel exposed data that support not only the current scenario, but also reflect the journey of many women, both academic and professional: only 29% of vacancies in courses in the area of technology are occupied by women.

Despite the data that sound discouraging, the panel aimed to have the participation of IT analyst at the Federal Institute of Bahia (IFBA), Edna Mattos; the former director of CPD at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Jussara Musse; and RNP's director of RD&I, Iara Machado, to encourage a new way of honoring and providing opportunities for the participation of this audience in the ICT area.

"Why is technology not a girls' area?"

Iara Machado since she was 15 years old studied algorithms, programming and had a love for mathematics. It was in high school that he opted for the Data Processing course, around 1971. Throughout his career, when studying physics at UFRJ, the academic scenario referred to the questioning of the cultural issue related to the presence of women in the area. "Why isn't technology a girls' area?"

As an answer, the data still reveals that only 9% of women have an IT career at Universities and Federal Institutes. In coordination and direction positions, there are only 15%, of which, in strategic and leadership positions, such as Management, the number drops to 2%. "They are not part of the decision-making process," says Carla.

Other numbers discussed throughout the panel are related to RNP's Points of Presence. Over 20 years, according to the research presented by Pires, only 6 to 7 women were present. Currently, there are three collaborators. “It is necessary to practice these changes”, concludes Carla.

Iara Machado is the director of RD&I at RNP and, although the number of female employees is lower than expected, in each selection process, she celebrates. “The environment today is already a little less tense, heavy. But there is still a lot of discrimination. There are many men who supported me during my journey, who empowered me and gave me opportunities. But I believe that it is a collective work, both for men and women, so that there is no discrimination or prejudice. I think we are moving towards that ”.

Edna Mattos, IT analyst at the Federal Institute of Bahia (IFBA), shared many remarkable and struggling stories throughout her professional career. Where in the beginning it suffered from gender, class and race discrimination. “The Information Technology area is, and continues to be, an area that is made up of men, people from the wealthier class and whites. So, for me, more clear at that moment of being discriminated against for being a woman, it was being discriminated against because I was black ”, she recalls.

But for a dreamer and strong woman, Edna managed to overcome social challenges year after year and conquered a renowned and meaningful career, being, on several occasions, the only and / or the first woman to accomplish such feat or title. “I am part of the group of the first people to occupy the position of Systems Analyst at Agro Técnica Federal schools, I am also the first systems analyst at IFBA, where I arrived in 1998 through a redistribution. At IFBA for 13 consecutive years, I was responsible for the IT sector, where I worked hard on its restructuring and, mainly, on its valorization ”.

Edna Mattos also participated in the creation of the Information Technology Managers Forum of the Federal Institutes of Education (Forti), of which she was president for 10 years, and today has Carla Pires as coordinator. Recently she was director of the IFBA campus, in the city of Santo Antônio de Jesus, where she concluded her management in 2019, leaving in operation three higher education courses in the IT area.

When recalling her trajectory, Mattos points out, “in my 25 years in the Federal Government, 21 has been in management positions. Throughout this trajectory, I, in most cases, was the only woman in the group ”.

“We, as managers, have to honor the women who work with us”

Jussara Musse was the founder of CGTIC-Andifes, College of ICT Managers of Federal Institutions of Higher Education. “Thanks to a female dean, I became the first and until today, the only director of the UFRGS CPD”, she comments.

Musse's career has also undergone many challenges and discrimination, as she points out, “either I would go away, or I would decide to fight”. And her fight was so successful that she was the first speaker in the Electrical Engineering course at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). “40 years ago it was difficult, very difficult, now it is still difficult”, she laments.

However, in spite of all the difficulties presented in the panel, the encouragement in the speech of each one reinforces the need to continue a transformation that affects the public and private environment. “We have to encourage women to pursue a career in management, because with the numbers that Carla spoke, it is scandalous. We are almost 10% of IT vacancies in public institutions, but we occupy 2% of management vacancies. So, the funnel is very big and we have to expand it. We, as managers, have to honor the women who work with us”, adds Musse.

For those who want to watch or remember the debate at the RNP 2020 Forum, please visit the RNP channel on YouTube.