abstract: 'In a rapidly globalizing world, high growth sectors like information

  technology (IT) hold the key to narrow or broaden the gulf between men

  and women at work. However, there is a serious underrepresentation of

  women in the technology sector, particularly in leadership roles. This

  gulf between men and women at work is likely to widen unless immediate

  action is taken. ICT jobs can provide women with greater opportunities

  and higher wages, compared to the low-skill jobs that women are often

  crowded into. Yet, achieving gender neutrality and inclusivity in the IT

  sector is an uphill task. This paper focuses on the challenges,

  opportunities and conditions that can be created to facilitate the

  participation of urban, educated women of Pakistan in the IT sector.

  Although the empowerment aspects of individualization in the workplace

  for women are tangible, in Pakistan, there are a number of

  socio-cultural barriers and an implicit gender bias in education and

  employment which prevents greater participation of women in the IT

  sector. The paper also sets out specific recommendations for the

  government and private sectors to further increase gender inclusivity in

  employment. In doing so, it draws upon primary research and current

  behavioral economic insights and makes the case that a multi-sectoral

  effort involving the private sector, government, and macro-social

  environment is critical to radically disrupting bias, providing

  norm-changing solutions, and ensuring rapid gains to the economy from

  the inclusion of women in the sector.'
affiliation: 'Tanwir, M (Corresponding Author), Ctr Dev Studies, 7 West Rd, Cambridge
  CB3 9DP, England.

  Tanwir, Maryam; Khemka, Nitya, Univ Cambridge, Ctr Dev Studies, Cambridge, England.'
author: Tanwir, Maryam and Khemka, Nitya
author-email: mt383@cam.ac.uk
author_list:
- family: Tanwir
  given: Maryam
- family: Khemka
  given: Nitya
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1080/09718524.2018.1496695
eissn: 0973-0656
files: []
issn: 0971-8524
journal: GENDER TECHNOLOGY \& DEVELOPMENT
keywords: 'Gender; information technology; work force participation; Pakistan;

  unconscious bias; gender stereotype'
keywords-plus: ROLE-MODELS; WOMEN; SCIENCE; FEMALE; IMPACT
language: English
number: '2'
number-of-cited-references: '59'
pages: 109-129
papis_id: 05b794478af25eb9c82a74897b63828e
ref: Tanwir2018breakingsilicon
times-cited: '5'
title: 'Breaking the silicon ceiling: Gender equality and information technology in
  Pakistan'
type: Article
unique-id: WOS:000456285000002
usage-count-last-180-days: '1'
usage-count-since-2013: '10'
volume: '22'
web-of-science-categories: Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary
year: '2018'