Almost 60,000 women work in Portugal’s IT sector

Almost 60,000 women in Portugal worked in information and communication technologies last year, 13,300 more than in 2023, according to Eurostat data, as the International Day of Young Women in Information and Communication Technologies is marked.

The day dedicated to young women in Information and Communication Technologies was born on 8 April 2011 due to resolution 70 of the International Telecommunication Union and the United Nations, which aims to defend the interests and opportunities of young women, encouraging them to choose a professional career in the sector.

In Portugal last year, 59,600 women worked in the area of information and communication technologies (ICT), which represents 22.7% of the sector, according to the European Commission’s statistical organisation, Eurostat.

In 2024, 202,500 men worked in the area, or 77.3%, according to Eurostat.

In 2023, the country had 46,300 women working in ICT and 183,300 men, i.e. 20.2% were women and 79.8% were men, according to the organisation.

Raquel Yam, executive director of the CMU Portugal Academy, a digital technology training programme run by the Institute of Technologies, said that “equality also involves access to training in all areas,” quoted in a statement.

The programme, founded in 2024, received more than 250 applications in its first year and 60% of the places were taken up by women, according to the same information.

MEP Paulo Nascimento Cabral, an alternate member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, told Lusa that the number of young women graduating in ICT fields has been increasing, emphasising that women are the majority in universities and have more qualifications.

The MEP warned that the pay gap is also significant in the sector, pointing out that women in ICT earn almost 20% less than men.

According to the Meusalário.pt website, the maximum and minimum salary range for most ICT technical workers is between €1,141 and €3,360 per month.

Paulo Nascimento Cabral pointed out that there is a way to go, “which involves identifying and eliminating the systemic and invisible barriers” that continue to contribute to wage inequality, emphasising that the European Union can only reach its full potential and prosper if it involves the whole of society, men and women.

“This has to be a priority and even in times of economic instability, it is essential to strengthen this participation, first and foremost because it is a civilisational imperative, but also an economic one,” said the MEP.

The project leader at the Portuguese Association for Diversity and Inclusion (APDI), Mónica Canário, told Lusa that the data shows a greater visibility of women in technology.

She pointed out that cultural changes within the companies themselves and at the same time ‘the continuous effort’ of various sectors such as the public, private and educational sectors show positive results in promoting gender equality “in an area that is critical for the country’s future”.

Mónica Canário said that it was necessary to combat gender stereotypes, guarantee equal opportunities and “create truly inclusive working environments”.

The Association for Diversity and Inclusion leader said that “this is a moment of celebration, but also of responsibility and that we need to ensure that progress continues and transforms ICT into a more equitable and representative technological sector for all people”.

The country with the most women working in ICT is Germany with 436,200 women, followed by France with 269,900 women and in third place is Spain with 200,100 women, according to Eurostat.