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Attracting women to IT careers is crucial for addressing the skills shortage. Many companies pledge to do this on International Women’s Day. However, reality often tells a different story, as a new Bitkom study reveals.
As International Women’s Day on March 8, 2025, approaches, reports of imbalances in professions and corresponding salaries will once again surface. While the gender pay gap has narrowed by two percentage points, it remains significant at an average of 16 percent. The Federal Statistical Office, which published these data in February, attributes this partly to the fact that women more often work part-time and pursue less well-paid professions. This issue also affects IT careers. Additionally, the gender imbalance in the industry persists, as highlighted by a recent Bitkom study.
More Intentions Than Reality
According to this study, while one-third of companies aim to attract more women to IT and digital roles, women remain underrepresented.
Of the 605 surveyed companies, 64 percent estimate that less than half of their employees are women. In IT and digital roles, this figure is even higher at 94 percent. Only 4 percent of companies report gender parity in IT and digital roles, compared to 19 percent for the overall workforce.
Additionally, 64 percent of companies stated that the German economy would jeopardize its future without women in digital and IT professions. Other countries are already further ahead. 59 percent of respondents believe that the German economy is lagging behind in this regard, while 23 percent think it has already missed the boat. Only 15 percent see Germany as a leader in attracting women to IT roles, with 1 percent at the very top.
“Women bring new perspectives and different experiences to companies. This diversity not only strengthens technological innovation and competitiveness but also makes attracting more women to IT and digital roles a matter of inclusion and equal participation in digital transformation,” emphasizes Bitkom CEO Dr. Bernhard Rohleder.
The mental barriers remain significant
Six out of ten surveyed companies already use targeted recruiting measures to attract more women to digital and IT professions. Leading the way among the measures already taken and planned are collaborations with universities and schools (24 and 31 percent) and entry programs like traineeships (19 and 24 percent).
When it comes to targeted outreach, 35 percent rely on advertising and social media campaigns, 33 percent on women-specific career events and fairs, but only 6 and 14 percent on job postings directly aimed at women. Preferring women for the same qualifications applies in only 5 percent of cases, with a further 12 percent planning to do so.
According to figures from the Federal Statistical Office and the Federal Network Agency from 2024, the proportion of women in the IT industry is only 30 percent, and even lower at 18 percent for IT professionals. In computer science studies, the proportion of women at 21 percent is also still significantly low. However, in the fields of medical and bioinformatics, it is considerably higher at 44 and 37 percent, respectively.
Certainly, the lower representation of women and girls in IT professions and training is also due to the perception of these fields as male-dominated. While almost two-thirds, or 69 percent, of the surveyed companies say that IT and digital professions need to become more attractive to women, 39 percent believe that men are better suited for these roles. Nevertheless, 88 percent of companies are convinced that mixed teams have a positive impact on the workplace atmosphere and corporate culture, and 81 percent believe that women bring in new ideas and perspectives.
“However, reality often looks different, as a new Bitkom study shows.”
More Women to Combat the Skilled Labor Shortage
“Anyone who subscribes to such a misbelief shouldn’t be surprised by the skilled labor shortage. Digitalization and IT know no gender,” Rohleder scolds. “Women shouldn’t let stereotypes hold them back but should consciously seize the career opportunities in these future professions.”
Half of the companies (50 percent) see insufficient qualification of female applicants as a reason for a lower proportion of women in IT jobs, while 46 percent believe that women simply market themselves less effectively. 52 percent identify barriers to lateral entry, especially since employment agencies rarely recommend or fund IT-specific further training for women.
Nearly every second company (46 percent) blames stereotypes in training and career guidance for the lower proportion of women in IT jobs. Rohleder comments, “In addition to the family, schools and universities play a crucial role in later career choices. It is all the more important to foster the curiosity of girls and young women in technology and digitalization, especially in these environments.”
Source of title image: Pexels / Pixabay
