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Women in Technology
- The IBM Way
June 8, 2007

Jyotsna Anand and Suman Poonacha

IBM India Pvt. Ltd.
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Women in the workforce
Global picture
Represent over 41% of the
global labor force
Nearly 10.4 million firms
are owned by women,
employing more than 12.8
million people, and
generating $1.9 trillion in
sales
IBM
June 8, 2007
Indian perspective
India's female population is
larger than the combined
total populations of
Canada, USA and the
Russian Federation
According to Nasscom, the
ratio of women software
professionals in IT in India
is rising steadily and is
likely to be 65:35 (men to
women) by the year 2007
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Why women are important: Companies
benefit with more women in charge
2004 Catalyst study, The Bottom Line: Connecting
Corporate Performance and Gender Diversity

– 353 Fortune 500 companies studied on two measures:

Return on Equity (ROE) and Total Return to Shareholders
(TRS).
– Companies with the highest representation of women
on their senior management teams had a 35% higher
ROE and a 34% higher TRS than companies with the
lowest women's representation.

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Women Workforce – IBM’s philosophy

IBM has a corporate philosophy on workforce diversity
IBM views workforce diversity as a "diversity house" founded on
three pillars: equal opportunity, affirmative action, and
work/life balancing programs

In 1995, IBM launched a Diversity Task Force, to study the needs

of its women employees with these objectives -
Define what their constituency requires to feel more
welcomed and valued at IBM
Define what they can do, in partnership with the company, to
maximize productivity
Define what can be done to maximize the pursuit of business
opportunities through the buying decisions of the constituency
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Women workforce Trends & Challenges -
IT sector *

US - 15 % for technical positions. There's been an 18.5% slump

since 1996 in the percentage of women working in IT
Malaysia - 50 % of computing students are female
India - more than a third of computer programmers are women

Women in the corporate sector

– under-represented in technical fields
– Lower income and lower level job opportunities
– No strategy to identify and develop talent

Lack of role models, networks, and mentors

Conflicting commitment to personal and professional

IBM responsibilities

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Women workforce - IBM’s Approach

Women's Task Force recommended –

Implement Employee Network Groups

Develop a Regular Part-time Employment Category
Integrate Work/life Balance Flexibility into the Business
Process
Support employee needs for child / elder care assistance
Enhance IBM's focus in the Marketplace
Additional focus on Technical Women and Multicultural
Women

The IBM Archives actually indicate that we hired our first women
back in 1899! It was in 1935, three decades before the Equal Pay Act,
that IBM recruited its first professional women, and IBM's Founder T.J.
IBM Watson Sr. promised women "the same kind of work for equal pay."

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Women workforce - IBM’s Approach

Employee Network Employment Category

Groups – Regular
– Women Diversity
– Part-time
Councils
– Network groups – Leave of absence
– Conferences

Work/life Balance Support Needs

Flexibility – Child care (crèche)
– Location flexibility – Elder care
– Time flexibility
– Job sharing

Women represent 22% of IBM’s technical population

IBM worldwide, and 26% of IBM’s technical population in India

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Women in Technology
IBM established Women in Technology in 1997 with objectives -

Support the advancement and recognition of IBM's female

technical talent

Attract and recruit more qualified technical women to IBM

To work with outside organizations, to influence the

decisions of girls and young women to pursue education
and careers in science and technology

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What is IBM doing?

Focus on IBM Women: Support the
advancement and recognition of IBM's
female technical talent

Mentoring – Internal/External
Mindset Workshops –
Managers/Women employees
IBM Women Executive Councils
WIT Internal IBM Conferences
Global IBM WIT Subnets (launched in
over 70 global locations)
Women in Technology Archives
IBM Web Lectures

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What is IBM doing?

Short Term Outreach: Attract and recruit qualified technical
women to IBM (both university and professional)

IBM WIT Campus Liaison Program – University Relations

External partnerships:
– Women in Technology International (WITI, since 1996)
– Society of Women Engineers Archivist Program (SWE)
– MentorNet
– Women in Engineering Program and Advocates Network
conferences (WEPAN)
– Grace Hopper Celebration
– Women of Color Technology awards
– International Network of Women in Engineering and
Science
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What is IBM doing?

Long Term Outreach: Encourage girls and
young women K-12 to pursue education
and careers in science and technology

IBM EX.I.T.E. Camps (EXploring Interests

in Technology and Engineering)
IBM WIT Chapters, K-12 Workshops
Girl Scout Collaboration / Partnership
Sally Ride Partnership – Festivals and
Engineering Book
Global Engineers Week
“Invent the Future” High School
Symposium for girls
SWE 3D (Develop, Design, Discover)
Events

IBM Science
Festivals
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The way forward……..

"As [women secure more and more powerful posts in the

marketplace], a chorus of experts say, corporate
culture will change for the better, becoming more
collaborative and less competitive, more inclusive and
less elitist, and more flexible in the way the work
environment is run. And, they add, the workplace will
become more productive in the bargain.“
Breaking the Glass: More women reach
top spots, but sexism persists
Barron’s Magazine (May 26, 2003)

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Thank You…
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IBM’s Work/Life Programs

The goal of IBM's work/life programs are to allow employees to
manage the needs of their personal and professional
lives. The strategy is divided into three parts:
to refine and reform IBM's work/life culture
to respond to employee needs for expanded flexibility in
working hours and work delivery
to support employees needs for Child/Elder care
assistance

While IBM's work/life programs benefit all employees, they are

of critical importance to women.

IBM's effort to expand its understanding of the needs of women

employees can be traced to 1972, when IBM CEO T. Vincent Learson
IBM hosted a one-day meeting on women's workplace issues in IBM

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Filling the Pipeline with Future Technical
Women...

Partnership
"NEW" Events
Introduce a Sally Ride
WIT Chapters Girl to
Engineering Girl Scouts
Take Your Canada SWE
EXITE Children to University
CAMPS Work Day Chapter Work

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EXITE Camps
One-week day camp for EX.I.T.E. Camps since Inception
middle school girls to:
51
– enhance their interest
50
48

in math and science 40

36
30
– introduce girls to
30

25 # of EX.I.T.E Camps
21
exciting technical
20

11
careers 10

1
– provide girls with
0
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

female role models

EX.I.T.E. Camp Growth by
– offer an environment Geography
that nurtures interest 20

in engineering,

Number of EX.I.T.E. camps

18
16

technology, and 14
12 LA
US
computer science
10
8 EMEA
6 AP
– match young women 4
2

with e-mentors 0

IBM
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Year

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EXITE Camps – favorite topics

Forensics
Forensics
Lego
Lego Robotics
Robotics
Team
Team Building
Building
Building
Building aa website
website
Cool
Cool chemistry/Liquid
chemistry/Liquid Nitrogen
Nitrogen
Ice
Ice Cream
Cream
Cinderella's
Cinderella's Shoes
Shoes
Field
Field trips
trips to
to museums,
museums,
IBM manufacturing
manufacturing facilities
facilities and
and labs
labs
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Partnership with Girl Scouts

2006 sponsorship of National GirlsGoTech pilot program

– ½ day technology program, 250 attendees
– Expansion planned for 2007 (5 locations)

2005 - National Convention, Atlanta, GA

– Sponsorship of CyberCafe at GSUSA National
Convention
– Information Booth at Girl Scout Executive Staff
Conference

2004 Pilot linking WIT chapters and Girl Scout Troops

– Successes highlighted in U.S. Girl Scouts’ e-
newsletter

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Partnership with Sally Ride Science

2006: IBM sponsored three Sally Ride

Festivals (CA, AZ, NC) including
Festival workshops and Street Fairs
– 2065 students reached

2005 sponsorship of the same three

locations reached 3750 students

IBM Sponsored “What do you want to

be” Engineering book featuring Dr.
Sandra K. Johnson

EX.I.T.E. campers received discounted

Sally Ride Science club memberships

IBM Science Festivals

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IBM Global Women in Technology
Chapters

WIT workshops address unique

needs of girls

112 Chapters Globally

Interactive, hands-on projects

Technical female role models

Insight into career opportunities in

STEM fields

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Global Engineers Week (Eweek)
"Introduce a Girl to “Engineering” Day"

Active supporter since 1990

Created IBM legacy program "Girl Day" in 2001.
2006: 1750 IBM women reached 100,500 girls in 2006 -
demonstrating the promise of engineering careers and why
engineering is ideally suited for girls.
Participation in the second annual Global Marathon: By, For,
and About Women in Engineering
2005: National Engineers Week becomes Engineers Week and
is now International with Global Participation

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Take Our Children to Work Day!

Girl-specific package for IBM/US locations to use for annual

event.
Demonstrates technology is fun, has an impact on the world,
and is not just for boys.
Important facts about girls and technology
Why a special focus on girls is critical
Activities designed specifically for girls
Materials for young visitors

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IBM Academic Initiative

Partner with colleges and universities to drive open standards

Better educate millions of students for a more competitive IT

workforce

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Faculty Requirements

Access to Tools and Middleware with no-cost academic

licensing

No-cost training for faculty on Tools, Middleware and

Technology

Consultative assistance with the development of course

content.

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Benefits for faculty and students

Access to leading-edge, open

standards-based technology
Access to world-class curriculum
Ongoing faculty skills development
Increase in student placement
Industry-leading certifications
– Students can enroll in
Opportunity Data Base
Potential partnerships with IBM
customers and Business Partners

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University Programs: IBM Academic Initiative

Free membership to faculty and Free training for faculty
researchers of accredited
academic institutions worldwide –Tutorials, articles, white
papers and Redbooks
Free IBM software for education
and non-commercial research Course materials and
– IBM middleware and tools certification resources
available via download
– Technical support
Online resources including
e-mail newsletters,
Access to IBM eServers and Linux
hubs newsgroups, webcasts, case
– Discounts on eServer iSeries studies and other tools
hardware
– Access to zSeries and Linux
systems

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ibm.com/education/students
– IBM Student Portal

IBM’s online
resource for
students

Jobs, downloads
and other
technical
information

Contests and
special offers

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IBM Academic Initiative web site

Product downloads and CDs

Faculty training

Curriculum and courseware

IBM http://www.ibm.com/university
http://ibm.com/university
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Live and On Demand Web

events

Topics cover the full spectrum of

Information technology

IBM Special events for IBM Scholars

members
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Academic Membership Overview

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What’s next?
Faculty:
If you haven’t already, apply for
membership today:
www.ibm.com/university
Students:
Tell your professors about this
program
Everyone:
–Subscribe to our newsletters
–Investigate how IBM technologies and
products can supplement your
curricula
•Download software and try it
out
•Add a lab
•Complete an online tutorial
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How to enroll in the Academic Initiative

Go to: http://www.ibm.com/university

Apply now

NO COST, NO OBLIGATION…

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Benefits for Faculty and Students

Faculty
– Access to leading-edge, open standards-based technology
– Access to world-class curriculum
– Ongoing faculty skills development
– Increase in student placement

Students
– Access to leading-edge, open standards-based technology
– Highly marketable job skills that will enable them to get
good jobs more quickly
– Industry-leading certifications

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What’s Next?

Visit today: ibm.com/university

Faculty: If you haven’t already, apply for membership today
Investigate how IBM technologies & products fit into your
curricula
– Download software and try it out
– Take online tutorials
– Print and read a Redbook or technical white paper
– Register for an IBM course
– Subscribe to our newsletters

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IT Industry : Current Scenario

Information technology today is

commonly held to be a $1.4 trillion
Industry Revenue Growth 2003-2007 (U.S.)
Compound Annual Growth Rates industry

Banking 6.9%
As early as 2008, the industry will
Insurance 6.5% approach $1.8 trillion or more in
Pharmaceuticals 5.0% global revenue, assuming annual
Media 4.2% growth rates between 4 percent to
7 percent
Retail 3.0%
Automotive 2.0%
This growth rate is competitive
Source: IBISWorld, Inc.
with or outpaces growth estimates
for other industries

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