Women in IT

There are still fewer women in IT than there should be, especially in the Czech Republic. Women have the same prerequisites for working in IT as men, in some areas even better. For example, their diligence is a great advantage. Throughout history, we can find a number of women who have contributed to progress in the field of technology. Among them, Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace, who is considered to be the author of the first computer algorithm.

Women certainly belong in the world of IT - as exemplified by our wonderful colleagues, whose work confirms that they have a rightful place in the industry. 

We interviewed my colleague Petra, who has been part of our Edhouse team for several years.

Petra 

• SW engineer 
• At Edhouse since 2017 
• Programming languages: C# ASP.NET

1. What was your journey into the IT industry?  

It wasn't straightforward at all. It was more of an accident when I took a Programming seminar in high school by process of elimination. Until then, I had no idea what programming was. Programming caught my eye and the choice of college major was clear to me. 

2. What do you enjoy most about this job? 

Programming is creative work. This field offers me almost unlimited opportunities for further education, there is always something new to learn. I try to expand my knowledge of web technologies, but I am also interested in less technical areas of software development, such as the quality of software applications from the user's perspective, their usability and accessibility for users with disabilities.

3. Why should women not be afraid to enter this field? 

Women have a different perspective on problem solving. In our company, we have experience in teaching children where the differences in solutions are visible. We've taught kids to code. The boys solved the problem by going headfirst and just trying it by trial and error. The girls sat and thought about it until they had the perfect solution. Then they started programming. In the IT industry, there are not only programming positions, there are also analytical, architectural, testing or management positions. 

4. How do you perceive your work in a predominantly male team?  

Very positively. Years ago I got into an almost all-male team. However, I encounter minimal prejudice. The men have always accepted me among them and can appreciate my work. They certainly don't see me as someone who is not into IT.  

Petra was also part of the Nestereo project, which dealt with the topic of people working in industries generally considered either purely male or female. Petra was interviewed about her IT career, which you can listen to at this link. 

We support the involvement of women in IT

Women in IT have our full support. We are actively involved in spreading awareness of the opportunities IT offers women. We also encourage them to enter the industry. Our goal is to support women on two levels - to help them find the motivation and an easier path into IT, and to awaken their interest in technology at an early age. 

Edison to schools - IT programming in primary schools 

The first area is an activity within the Edison into Schools project. This project brings algorithmisation and basic programming to primary schools and grammar schools. It gives not only boys but also girls a chance to develop their logical thinking and try programming. With this experience, children can better decide whether IT is the right path for them in the future.

Women's education - it's never too late to change 

The second area is the promotion of adult education for women in cooperation with educational organisations. It happens that a person does not choose the right field of study, or decides on a different career path later in life. However, thanks to retraining courses and workshops, women have the opportunity to enter the IT world as adults and get their dream job.

We work with PyLadies, an educational organization that brings IT to women and women to IT. It focuses on teaching the Python programming language, one of the most popular languages in IT development. Their activities include not only workshops for beginners, but also for advanced learners, with the aim to involve women in the Czech Python community. Our cooperation with PyLadies started in autumn 2024 in Olomouc, where we regularly organize workshops for women. 

You can find the dates of the workshops in the calendar on the PyLadies CZ website by the location. 

In the past we have also supported the non-profit educational organization Czechitas. Where we organized workshops focused on specific technologies or skills.