Women highlight their participation in the Technology area

From left to right: Danila Teixeira, Elisabet Vicente and Jéssica Lopes, employees of the IT team.

One of the industries that grows and develops the most every year, the technology sector is also one of those with the highest rates of gender inequality in the workforce. Data from the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD), by IBGE, show that the IT market in Brazil is composed only of 20% of professional women. At Google and Microsoft, two market giants, just under one third of the total number of employees are women.

The trend of low female representation also persists in new technologies. One report recently released by the World Economic Forum revealed the gender gap that is already developing among Artificial Intelligence professionals, with only 22% of them being female.

However, what most people do not know is that there is no shortage of examples in history to prove how women pioneered this industry. This is the case of programmers Grace Hopper, considered the mother of COBOL, and Ada Lovelace, who wrote the first algorithm in history, as well as several others.

The reasons that keep women away from IT are numerous and range from the imposition of cultural barriers and gender stereotypes to the still existing sexism in some workplaces and classrooms. But, little by little, they are resuming their space in the area. “In the last 5 years, we have seen a movement towards the recovery of market share by women and the breaking down of barriers”, evaluates Homine's Resources and Services coordinator, Rosana Silva.

Speaking specifically of the SAP segment, the coordinator points out that in academies for training consultants, it is possible to observe an equalization of genders or even an inversion – more women than men. “Women are aware that they should not be left out of any market and that they only need their willpower to acquire the skills”, observe.

And to inspire more women to enter this area, Homine brings the examples of Jessica, Danila and Elisabet, three employees of the IT team who share their trajectories, talk about challenges and leave some valuable advice to women.

Jessica Lopes, Support Analyst

A career in technology was not an immediate choice. Jessica even thought about Philosophy, but, undecided, decided to follow the advice of a cousin who worked in IT and suggested a technical course in the area. “I saw it as a new thing and went in with an open mind. I enjoyed it and continued”, account. Studied programming, focusing on web development; then graduated in Systems Development Analysis.

Jessica remembers that she received incentives in choosing her career, but recognizes that there are still few women working in her area and that many give up because they do not feel welcome. At Homine since 2013, the support analyst is part of the Electronic Documents team and is responsible for ensuring the resolution of technical problems involving the issuance and processing of invoices for customers of the solution Signature.

To women who plan to work in the IT field, Jessica has some advice: “Enter because you like it. And don't let yourself be underestimated at the first joke, sexist comment or difficulty. Show what you can do and move on”. As for the future, his plans are to continue studying and having experiences in other technology segments.

Danila Teixeira, SAP ABAP consultant

The intention was to follow her mother's career, a teacher in elementary school. But it was her own mother who discouraged her from the idea, by showing the harsh reality of the profession. Danila found out that she had the profile to work with technology when she took a vocational test in high school. He graduated in Computer Science and worked with software development until the opportunity to take an ABAP course, a specific SAP programming language, arose. There are already 16 years of experience with the system.

At Homine for almost two years, Danila works in the areas of New Products and Shared Services making improvements and customizations in solutions for SAP, such as HomSoft, and ERP in general. He has worked on projects at Emerson, Primetals, Amyris and several other companies. The consultant reports that she has always been well accepted in the IT area, without prejudice.

“Women are overcoming prejudices, determined to show that they are capable. We are forming new concepts”, says Danila, noting that the greater female presence in the sector is already accepted as something natural. To have chances in the market, according to her, it takes dedication and constant updating.

Elisabet Vicente, SAP SD consultant

Graduated in Business Administration, Elisabet worked in the financial area for a while, but was not satisfied and wanted to change. First, she had the chance to work as a SAP user in the sales area. Then, with the support of her team leader, who highlighted her profile to act as a consultant, came the opportunity to join the SAP academy. It was what she needed to definitely change the direction of her career.

The consultant takes care of all SAP sales, analyzing scenarios and raising processes and requirements for the best functioning of the SD module (Sales and Distribution) in the companies' ERP system. About nine months ago at Homine, Elisabet has already worked on projects for national and multinational clients such as Lyondell Basell, Emerson and AgroFresh. “Each client is a new challenge”, account.

Elisabet regrets that the current market opportunities are not the same as when they started. “Today it is a little more difficult, but if the professional already works as a SAP user in a company, it is worth investing and joining a gym”, advises. Here's the tip!