A Northern Territory-developed survey into gender equity within the information technology industry has been included in a European Union project which promotes best practice in gender equality.
Charles Darwin University lecturer in Business, Dr Susan Bandias designed and carried out the Australian Computing Society’s Women’s survey, which was conducted earlier this year.
More than 650 women working within the IT sector throughout Australia completed the survey. It was this impressive response that initially gained the attention of the directors of the EU’s Practising Gender Equality in Science (PRAGES) project.
Dr Bandias said she had just been notified that her project would be included in the guidelines for best practice and also would be one of 107 international projects included in a database aimed at showcasing best practice in gender equity, making it in PRAGES’s view one of the best within its field.
Having been chosen from more than 1000 projects submitted, Dr Bandias said she was honoured that her survey stood out on a global platform.
But she is most proud of the fact that it was a Territory-developed project.
“I regard it as a real feather in the cap for the Territory as the survey was primarily designed, developed and analysed here in the NT,” Dr Bandias said.
“It also involved the local ICT community as an NT firm, Dolphin Software Studio, won the contract to host the survey and conduct the initial data analysis,” she said.
She said she was also immensely proud that the Australian Computing Society had commissioned the survey in the first place, showing its commitment to recognising the needs of women within the male-dominated ICT industry.
“Women traditionally shy away from the male-dominated industries such as IT, so I hope ultimately that projects such as PRAGES will encourage women into these professions in order to create a level playing field regardless of gender,” she said.