The software and information technology services industry: An opportunity for the economic autonomy of women in Latin America

NU. CEPAL

2014-11

LC/W.611

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Introduction .-- I. Women in the IT field: why so few? .-- II. Those who made it: aspirations, conflicts and negotiations .-- III. Public policies in and for the SIS sector: an apparent neutrality .-- IV. Policies and programmes in multinational ICT companies .-- V. European public policies and programmes for the development of the information and knowledge society .-- VI. Reflections and suggestions for gender equality in the SIS sector.

The objective of this report is to understand the rationality that underpins public and business policies for promoting the IT and SIS industries and to determine whether they incorporate gender equality and/or provide incentives for women’s participation. The report also explores how this group of women is symbolically constructed within the firms, what issues are emphasized by the women themselves and what solutions or resources they propose for overcoming the problems. It then contrasts this discourse and intervention with the experiences, visions and demands of women leaders in the SIS sector. For this purpose, the policies, programmes and best practices of Europe are analysed and compared with instruments currently in place in Latin America and the Caribbean, in terms of their specific characteristics and degree of progress. Special attention is given to the cases of Argentina, Costa Rica and Colombia.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY; COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY; GENDER EQUALITY; WOMEN'S EMPLOYMENT; COMPUTER INDUSTRY; WOMEN; INDUSTRIA DE LAS COMPUTADORAS; EMPLEO DE LA MUJER; IGUALDAD DE GENERO; TECNOLOGIA DE LAS COMUNICACIONES; TECNOLOGIA DE LA INFORMACION; MUJERES;