Created by programmer Paul Scott and launched and run by ex-Brainstorm editor Samantha Perry, the site is intended to be a showcase of local tech women, a networking resource that people in the sector can use to find skills, resources and expertise and a showcase of the talent in the South African tech sector.
While Perry says she intended for the site to start slowly, profiling women as she got the information and had the time to update, she's been overwhelmed by the positive response she's had from industry in the few days (at the time of writing) that the site has been live.
"I've been invited by SiliconCape to work with them on hosting networking events for women, and been invited to speak at SQL Saturday Johannesburg in August and Cape Town in September. While I was planning a slow launch - starting off publishing profiles, then inviting women to contribute thought leadership pieces - I guess I'll be doing conferences and networking events, too," says Perry. "I've been happily overwhelmed at the response this has gotten from the industry."
Under-representation
Perry says she wants to profile as many women in the local tech sector as she can pin down to answer her Q&A.
"I'm accepting nominations from everyone, and all I ask is that people send me name, surname and e-mail address, I'll do the rest. If you're female and in the tech sector, you qualify."
Women have always been under-represented in the tech sector, with giants like Google estimating that its workforce comprises only 30% women (and only 17% of those are in tech positions). Recent estimates put the percentage of women in tech in SA at around 20%, which is very low. Debate recently has centred on why women see tech as unappealing from a career perspective, and why the country has so few science and maths graduates (and how to convince the few females to join the ICT sector).
"There are no easy answers," says Perry, "but we need to start somewhere, and I'm hoping the WomeinTech site will enable us to get some of the industry's brightest minds together to work on the problem collectively."
Anyone wanting to get involved or nominate people can find WomeninTechZA on womenintech.co.za/blog @womenintechZA or https://www.facebook.com/womenintechZA.
First published in the August 2014 issue of ITWeb Brainstorm magazine.
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