#InspireInclusion: Why Empowering Women in IT matters?

Whilst managing teams either at a country or wider regional level at Kyndryl, I have witnessed the benefits of having a diverse and inclusive team that leverages both the talents and perspectives of women. I have the honour of working with great female leaders and technicians in my team and aligned with this year’s #InspireInclusion theme, I want to reinforce my commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Let me explain why I believe it is so important especially for the IT industry.?

Gender diversity is proven to be a great source of innovation and creativity, as it brings different viewpoints and experiences to the table. This is especially relevant for the IT industry, which needs to constantly adapt and evolve to meet the changing needs and expectations of customers and stakeholders. Studies show that diverse teams are more innovative, productive, and effective than homogeneous ones. A study by Harvard Business Review found that teams with an equal mix of men and women had higher collective intelligence, which is a measure of a group's ability to perform various tasks, than those dominated by either gender. Boston Consulting Group shared in their study that companies with more diverse management teams have 19% higher revenues due to innovation. Gender diversity has also been shown to impact the financial performance of a company. According to McKinsey & Company, companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on their executive teams were 25% more likely to have above-average profitability than those in the bottom quartile.?

Encouraging women to join in the ICT profession is crucial with the current skills gap. The IT sector is facing a talent shortage, as the demand for digital skills outpaces supply. According to the European Commission there was an estimated gap of at least 700,000 information and communication technology (ICT) professionals in 2020 in Europe. According to data from 2022 women, who made up only 18,9% of ICT specialists in the EU, represented huge untapped potential who could help to fill this gap and contribute to the digital transformation of both our economy and society.??

In Central Eastern Europe, we have seen some positive trends in terms of gender diversity in IT. It is worth noting that according to the currently available Eurostat report from 2021 , CEE countries had some of the highest shares of female tertiary students in science, mathematics, computing, engineering, manufacturing, and construction in the EU, with the highest share of women graduates recorded in Romania (42.5%), Poland (41.5%), and Greece (40.9%). The EU average was 32,8%. These numbers are encouraging, but there is still a lot of progress to be made in this area and in turn to reflect the number of graduates ultimately, in the number of employed professionals. According to the study of European Institute of Gender Equality , the most effective methods for bringing women into ICT include a mixture of work-life balance incentives, awareness campaigns, and programmes specifically targeting women and girls.?

At Kyndryl, we promote gender diversity and foster an inclusive culture and we want to ensure everyone’s voice is heard. Empowering women in IT brings diverse perspectives, fosters innovation, and drives better outcomes. We have women leaders at all levels of our organization and support their growth through mentorship, development, education, and flexible work arrangements. Our ESG activities and the work of? our Kyndryl Foundation strongly reflect our aim to embed inclusion, diversity, and equity in everything we do. Our Kyndryl Inclusion Networks (KINs), including Women@Kyndryl, work to elevate the collective presence and influence of women and their allies, promoting inclusion and diversity throughout our company.?

Women@Kyndryl KIN provides inspiration and career advice internally and externally. For example, to celebrate Women’s History Month KIN Women Czechia organised an inspiring session on career planning and how to succeed in business. In Hungary, they actively provide learning and networking opportunities, by inviting external speakers to special events focused on women’s health. At the end of 2023 in Poland, the local KIN ran a project Kyndryl Upskill Journey at Universities. This entailed a series of online meetings where industry leaders shared their technical expertise in key areas such as AI, Cloud and Project management and the secrets of successful career development in the IT industry. In this way, they encouraged students to embark on a STEM education and consider a career in the IT industry and at the same time fostering the key principles of diversity, equity and inclusion amongst the students.? ?

Through a joint effort at both a corporate level and employee resource groups level, with initiatives like Women@Kyndryl, we have created an inclusive environment that helps attract and keep the female talent in the ICT profession.?

In conclusion, gender diversity can help drive progress, as it enables better outcomes for our customers, employees, and society. By embracing our differences, we are #StrongerTogether, a motto which my team and I live by at Kyndryl.?

#InspireInclusion #WomenPoweringProgress #StrongerTogether?

?