Societal Barriers that Hinder Maldivian Women from Succeeding in Information Technology Sector Jobs

Authors

  • Aishath Shifna

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55712/ijsri.v5i1.29

Keywords:

Maldivian women, discrimination, stereotyping, marriage, work-life balance, ageism, IT-related career

Abstract

The under-representation of women in Information Technology (IT) sector in the Maldives reflects in the overall under-representation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and in paid employment in general. Despite the challenges, a significant number of Maldivian women complete higher education in IT, but very few succeed to make a life-long career in IT. Hence, the purpose of the research presented in this paper was to analyze the societal barriers that impact Maldivian women pursuing IT-related careers. The findings of this correlational study revealed that antiquated thinking, gender discrimination, and marital status were perceived to have a higher significant negative impact on Maldivian women pursuing IT-related careers, while work-home conflict or the double burden of domestic work and work demands, and age discrimination had a lesser perceived correlation. The findings have implications for policy on promoting gender equality in the workforce in the Maldives.

Published

06.10.2021

How to Cite

Societal Barriers that Hinder Maldivian Women from Succeeding in Information Technology Sector Jobs. (2021). International Journal of Social Research & Innovation, 5(1), 27-46. https://doi.org/10.55712/ijsri.v5i1.29