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Girls go IT Project number: 2013-1-PL1-LEO04-38543

Report on the results obtained from guidance counselors in Spain in under the project "Girls Go IT".

Women in Spain are gaining representation in technological sector. They have almost equal access and there are less and less gender stereotypes. At least, this is the perspective from teachers and advisors from in high schools in Galicia.

In order to gather the necessary information, a survey among vocational advisers was conducted based on a specially developed questionnaire in which they expressed their opinion on the participation of women in the ICT industry, their training and the motives behind a career in this direction. The study involved 7 teachers and one advisor from Galicia. In any case, such a small number of answers is not representative of considerations and trends in Spain.

QUESTIONNAIRE GIRLS GO IT PROJECT

1. In your country, ICT and technical jobs are mostly chosen by:

A. men

B. women

C. both

Obtained answers:

C- 4 answers

A- 4 answers

2. What in your opinion is the reason for this situation?

Gender equality.

Both need it.

Tradition.

It is interesting for both.

Boys are more interested in engineering, in other careers there are no differences.

Default mapping roles. Men = more technical careers.

They choose what they prefer. The ICT and technical careers are more difficult than the rest.

3. If a girl fails an year in a science class, what are you going to recommend?

B. taking the class again

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Girls go IT Project number: 2013-1-PL1-LEO04-38543

Obtained answers:

B- 8 answers

4. What are the stereotypes in your country concerning working women in general?

Taking into account the current tendency, more women than men are at university. Stereotypes will change.

Women are efficient and responsible

Normally they have to prove their talent

The same than for men

They are best workers than men

5. What are the stereotypes in your country concerning women who work at ICT and technical sectors?

Elderly people may find it strange, young people are used to it.I don’t know about the existence of specific stereotypes in this sector in Spain

I think the same that for women working in other sector

There are no differences

6. What kind of advice can you give to the girls and women who want to work in ICT

There is no problem

To get prepared to the maximum

To become professional and to try to do their best

They should work hard and make effortsTo study a lot and get prepared

To do it just if they like it.

You can do what you want do

7. Do you think that students are enough informed about the specifics of the Information Technology jobs?

A. yes

B. no

Obtained answers:

A- 5 answers

B- 3 answers

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Girls go IT Project number: 2013-1-PL1-LEO04-38543

8. If you do not, do you think that the lack of information comes from :

A. the educational and training establishments offering courses of study in the Information Technology sector

B. the orientation and counseling centers

C. the companies

D. other:

Obtained answers:

A-1answer

B- 1 answer

C- 1 answer

D- 2 answer:

All the previous choices.

There is no connection between enterprises and education system. There is zero contact between students with labor market before taking a decision about their university studies.

9. In your opinion, why do boys choose a career in the Information Technology sector?

A. by default

B. because they have a defined professional project

C. because they are tempted to do a job mainly masculine

D. because it's fashionable

E. other. They are interested on it.

They look for information about this sector and others before taking a decision. Because they like it and they think they can find job easier than in another sector.

They expect to get a well paid job. Best employability.

Obtained answers:

B-2 answer

C-1 answer

E-5 answer

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Girls go IT Project number: 2013-1-PL1-LEO04-38543

10. In your opinion, why do girls choose a career in the Information Technology sector?

A. by default

B. because they have a defined professional project

C. because they are tempted to do a job mainly masculine

D. because it is fashionable

E. other They are interested on it.

They look for information about this sector and others before taking a decision. Because they like it and they think they can find job easier than in another sector.

They expect to get a well paid job

Obtained answers:

B-3 answers

E-4 answer

11. Have you remarked a change in the girls' involvement in the Information Technology jobs in the last year?

A. no (a year is not enough to make an evaluation)

B. yes, their involvement has increased

C. yes, their involvement has decreased

Obtained answers:

A- 6 answers

B- 2 answers

12. Why do you think that girls choose less Information Technology careers?

A. because it is rather a masculine sector

B. because they are not naturally interested in these jobs

C. because they are not enough motivated towards these jobs during their studies and their career

D. because they do not feel competent

E. because there are few prospects for them, especially the responsibility positions

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Girls go IT Project number: 2013-1-PL1-LEO04-38543

F. because they have to renounce to impose a feminine view in a sector mainly masculine

G. because it is hardly compatible with a family life (long working hours, unpredictability of the working hours, changing working load, high professional mobility)

H. other

Obtained answers:

You can’t ask this, saying that girls choose less, when you have just asked if there are less or more

B-1 answer

c- 1 answer

F-1 answer

H- 3 answer. The ICT and technical careers are more difficult than the rest)

13. Do you think that men and women can practice the same type of profession in the Information Technology sector ?

A. yes

B. there are more men working in the technical sector (ex. network administrators, users assistance, help desk, network technicians)

C. there are more women working in the technical sector (ex. network administrators, users assistance, help desk, network technicians)

D. there are more men working in Internet and multimedia sector

E. there are more women working in Internet and multimedia sector

F. there are more men working in the core of the Information Technology : programming analysis, applications and systems concept and development, systems engineering , Information Technology project management

G. there are more women working in the core of the Information Technology : programming analysis, applications and systems concept and development, systems engineering , Information Technology project management.

Obtained answers:

A- 7 answers

Answer to this should be just Yes or No.

Men and women can work in the same conditions at ITC sector. Motivations and intellectual curiosity are the same.

In my opinion the isn’t too much clear. It seems a bit confusing and design of questions could be improved.

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Girls go IT Project number: 2013-1-PL1-LEO04-38543

Conclusions

Gender gap in Spain is decreasing and stereotypes about women are fewer and fewer. They are considered as highly efficient and productive, and more and more women are entering University in comparison to men.

Regarding the technologies sector, nowadays both men and women, boys and girls have equal access to it, and students of both gender are developing skills in the field of information technology and telecommunications. The attractiveness of these careers (well paid job, easy to get…) makes boys and girls choose technological paths and both of them are respected and supported. Even if they show interest in those careers, they like it and are able to look for information about this sector and others before taking a decision, a considerably gap between educational system and labor market is still remarked.