Each year March signifies Women’s History Month, a national celebration that highlights the many accomplishments and innovations that women have made to our society. Women, in particular, have been a driving force in the tech industry and their presence continues to demand attention. ITI would like to thank our member companies for recruiting a diverse pool of women committed to promoting innovation worldwide, creating opportunities for women to enter and advance in the tech industry through diversity and inclusion initiatives, and inspiring the next generation of women to pursue STEM careers.
While women have made significant strides in the tech industry, there is still some work to be done. According to a Women in Tech report only five percent of leadership positions in the technology sector are held by women. Only 27 percent of female students surveyed said that they would consider a career in technology. Furthermore, only 22 percent of students can name a famous female working in technology. These statistics represent the gap our industry must bridge to ensure we keep women at the forefront of our dynamic field.
This month, we would like to highlight ITI member company Accenture, a leading global professional services company providing a broad range of strategy and consulting, interactive, and technology services to businesses around the world. The company’s commitment to gender equality permeates throughout the organization, starting at the top. Thirty percent of the executives at Accenture are women, including its Chief Executive Officer, Julie Sweet, who was named No. 1 on FORTUNE’s 2020 list of “Most Powerful Women.” The company collectively believes that the future workforce is an equal one and as a result, leadership has set bold goals to accelerate gender equality throughout the organization.
In 2021, Accenture marked its 17th consecutive year of celebrating International Women’s Day. The company regularly recognizes its women employees for being multidimensional
individuals which spark a sense of belonging and empowers them to innovate more.
Representation matters and Accenture have the numbers to back it up.
- 48 percent of Accenture new hires are women
- 43 percent of Accenture’s revenue-producing roles are held by women
- 44 percent of Accenture promotions are women
- 42 percent of Accenture Board of Directors are women
These numbers paint a picture of the significant progress Accenture has made to ensure that gender equality is a priority and the culture they have created is a driving force behind that. The company promotes work flexibility, employee professional and personal development, and encourages employee community engagement which has been instrumental in cultivating employee growth and satisfaction.
Accenture is also producing valuable content to raise the profile of gender equality in today’s society. In collaboration with Women 20 (W20), a G20 engagement group focused on enabling women to reach their full potential, Accenture produced a report providing a road map of what businesses and the government can do to continue progress towards gender equality. In the report, If Not Now, When?, Accenture highlights 10 key policy recommendations that will promote a culture of equality and inclusion for women. One of the policy recommendations focuses on increasing women’s and girls’ access to digital technology, especially in remote and rural areas, by investing in infrastructure, high-speed connectivity, and training to improve skills. Accenture’s research suggests that the timeline of gender equality can be shortened by doubling the pace at which women are becoming fluent users of digital technology. Digital inclusion has the power to open up more opportunities for women and Accenture is working hard to narrow the digital divide by being a game-changer in advancing the leadership pipeline for women.
This month, ITI salutes Accenture’s commitment to accelerating equality in its workforce and society as a whole. Through its work to create an environment that unleashes innovation and prioritizes equal opportunity, Accenture has been able to bridge the gender disparity gap and inspire the next wave of tech talent.
To learn more about Accenture’s gender equality initiatives, please visit: https://www.accenture.com/us-en/about/inclusion-diversity/gender-equality