Analysis of the Gender Gap in the Digital Sector in Malta

• May 7, 2020
• admin

The Analysis of the Gender Gap in the Digital Sector in Malta is a study undertaken by Ascend Consulting on behalf and under the objective guidelines set out by the eSkills Malta Foundation. The study is a local continuation of another study carried out by the eSkills Malta Foundation, namely Guidelines to Increase and Retain Women in ICT​. Both studies should be scrutinised, considered and used well in future strategy, policy and operations by all organisations in Malta.

The eSkills Malta Foundation is currently one of the leaders in Malta for encouraging girls and women to consider a digital career. In 2016 the Foundation formed the Women in ICT focus group. The primary objective of this group is to act as a platform for dialogue, to help in the formation of better policy and also to lead, implement and support local awareness and specific events. The final target of this focus group is to increase digital skills careers with women within organisations. The Foundation is pleased to see that other women in digital groups are following our example in the common effort to reduce the gender gap. It is also the right time to give the right importance to gender equality in specific technologies, especially Artificial Intelligence, which will change our future lives.

The Foundation firmly believes that the increase of women in the digital sector can contribute in the decrease of the supply and demand gap and that they can also bring more diversity and success to products in industry, government and education. Many digital organisations believe this and have been implementing many initiatives to support this. The European Commission has also set up various women-supportive initiatives. The Commission’s Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) measures the participation of women in the digital sector.

This study gives a snapshot of the current gender status in the digital sector in 2020 and is based on feedback gathered from well-drafted surveys. The results of this report show that the local ICT intensive sector has made increased their efforts to increase women in their organisations but also highlights that the public sector has to do more if they are to benefit from a more diverse environment. In our view, the analysis gives positive feedback but the stakeholders need to consider all the other aspects so that further collaboration can be achieved.

The eSkills Malta Foundation will continue in its work to reduce digital gaps in the sector, and this includes the gender gap. It looks forward to supporting and collaborating with the respective stakeholders to bring Malta further amongst the digital elite of Europe.

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Analysis of the gender gap in the digital sector in Malta

Road Map Ahead infographic​