The under-representation of women in information technology and computing in the Middle East: A perspective from Jordan

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a study on the participation of women in computing and information technology (IT) in Jordan. It investigates the percentages of women at all levels of education—from the secondary level through the graduate level—and their participation in the IT workforce. Women in Jordan are still under-represented in the computing and IT fields, and my study explores possible reasons for the under-representation and what can be done to increase women's participation. Despite the fact that the worldwide participation of women in computing has been declining steadily to very low levels, that is not the case in Jordan. This study found that the percentage of Jordanian women in the IT field is rising and far exceeds that of women in the U.S. and Canada. Indeed, increasing women's participation in computing in Jordan is vital to the economy and to the country's sustainable development.