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Ms. Bernhardt discusses how current programs are failing to keep women in the ICT field

Interview with Sonja Bernhardt, Author of Women in IT in the New Social Era: A Critical Evidence-Based Review of Gender Inequality and the Potential for Change

By IGI Global on Jul 1, 2014
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, IT is and will remain one of the fastest-growing sectors of the U.S. economy, adding nearly 1.4 million job openings by 2020. Over two-thirds of these jobs could go unfilled due to the insufficient pool of college graduates with computing-related degrees. Women, in particular, represent a vastly untapped talent pool in the industry.

IGI Global author Sonja Bernhardt recently took a moment to speak with Promotions Coordinator Ann Lupold, discussing the potential of women in IT, as well as her recently released book Women in IT in the New Social Era: A Critical Evidence-Based Review of Gender Inequality and the Potential for Change. CEO of the award-winning software development firm ThoughtWare, Australia, Ms. Bernhardt has contributed much of her life and research to encouraging women in IT careers.


IGI Global: Tell us a little about yourself. How did you first become involved in the study of gender equality?

Interview With Sandra BernhardtMs. Sonja Bernhardt: I am neither an academic nor a researcher, and like many activists in this area, my primary drivers came from my personal experience working in the industry. I started out as an employee in HR, moved into IT, and am now owner and CEO of my own award-winning software development company. During my career, I looked around and saw that there were not many women in tech, and, as I loved it myself, I felt passionate about encouraging others to take up technology studies and careers so they too could enjoy it. Over time I become deeply involved (on a volunteer basis) with establishing women in technology associations and designing and implementing a multitude of different programs and projects, all aimed at increasing the number of women in the industry. Yet the reality is that numbers have actually declined.

That real world experience, combined with fast paced technology change and widespread social media tools, gave me clues that it was time to review both the ‘issue’ and the approach, so I undertook a detailed literature review and conducted original research to investigate and craft the book.

I read that you were the first Australian inducted into the WITI (Women in Technology International) Hall of Fame. What an honor! How did this come about?

That and being awarded, in 2011, a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to information technology are certainly my two highest professional honors to date. Both came about through people who knew me nominating me and flagging the depth and breadth of my community activities, with specific reference to encouraging girls and women into technology careers.

Your newest book, Women in IT in the New Social Era: A Critical Evidence-Based Review of Gender Inequality and the Potential for Change, was just released at the end of March. Can you tell us a little about the book?

This book turns the research and past approaches to this topic on its head. I have adopted a hard, factual, reality-based approach that directly states where failures have occurred and what has been wrong. I have a style where I like to ‘poke’ and state some obvious facts that people usually try to deny/hide from, and I use that style in the book. I propose some completely new recommendations that have never been said before, that are in line with our fast paced industry.

I realize some people may initially disagree with my findings and conclusions. However, I hope that they approach this with an open mind and look as deeply as I did into the facts, past their own theoretical preconceptions, and realize that it really is time to stop.

In the end I believe that my book almost gives people the okay to finally say what they have been thinking but never dared articulate.

What were some of your most interesting findings in the research and development of this book?

Four simple key facts that slice to the heart of the ‘issue’ and that I found most interesting are:

  • Only between 1% and 6% of women currently in IT roles got there via an intervention program. Thereby providing evidence that interventions have not worked.
  • More than 93% of women currently in IT knew they were interested in tech at a young age, or they discovered their interest via exposure to technology at work. Which is clear evidence that the individual and her personal interest is the core driver when it comes to career choice. In turn this implies that attempting to artificially adjust this via intervention programs has little to no effect, and the statistics over the past 30 years prove that.
  • Whilst most women in tech came there out of their own personal drivers, most of them think that interventions are important for bringing other women into tech. This disconnect is one of the drivers of intervention programs – and why they fail.
  • There are likely to be me more differences within the female gender than the well-known fact of differences between males and females. Bringing implications for gender theorists to focus on those differences within instead of between. But will that still be “gender” theory? I’ve produced a video providing a good summary of key themes, results and some of the recommendations. View video below:



    Who could most benefit from this publication?

    Everyone! I believe there is something in these recommendations for many interest groups and individuals: feminists and gender theorists, researchers, governments and policymakers, educators (primary, secondary, trade and tertiary), traditional women in IT associations, new social media-style women in tech associations and specialist groups, sponsors and supporters, parents, individual activists and advocates, recruiters, employers, the media, content developers, tax payers and overall for the individual women and men in technology.

    Where do you see the future of gender equality in regards to its role in society?

    I believe it is time to accept there is a difference between males and females, acknowledge that, accept it: it’s a fact. All people should be free to choose their career, so there should be no laws or policies that bar women – or men – from particular pursuits, either educational or in work. Jobs that have necessary criteria such as strength or intelligence must have those criteria: but applied to the individual’s personal abilities, and blind to gender, race or any other group identity. In other words, it is not gender equality we need but individual equality: where equality doesn’t mean equal numbers in your pigeonhole of choice, but freedom to achieve what you, as an individual, are able and willing to achieve.

    As long as women and men have different interests – which I suspect is forever! – this will result in some careers with more men and others with more women. Accept it.

    Is there any message you would like to give to your readers as it pertains to your research?

    Stop living in the past. Stop thinking that gender imbalances mean there is a problem we have to fix. Realize that the old structural barriers are mainly just a memory, and that the remaining much smaller barriers will be swept away by the tectonic changes of the new social era, which is changing faster than we can adapt. If you still want to “do something”: do something within that new social era. Stop using traditional methods and look into supporting hackfests, code camps and social media groups. Drop old, big and centralized, and adopt new, small and agile.

    Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us, Ms. Bernhardt!


    Sonja Bernhardt is CEO of the award-winning software development firm ThoughtWare, Australia, and has been awarded three degrees: a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Abstract Algebra and Psychology (1987), Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management (1989), and MBA (Masters of Business Administration) (1992). For decades, she has tirelessly volunteered to passionately encourage women into technology studies and careers. This has included multiple industry-related activities such as executive committees and board membership over a period of 20 years, judging appointments in a wide variety of innovation and technology awards over a period of 15 years, and taking to the airwaves as resident “geek girl” on ABC Radio over a period of 7 years. In addition, she has been an occasional contributor and/or sponsor for government and university research and is a published author of book chapters and articles in industry magazines. Her prestigious honours are that she was the first Australian inducted into the WITI (Women in Technology International) Hall of Fame in 2005, winner of the Industry and Business Award in the Our Women, Our State Awards in 2009, and first Queensland woman to be awarded the prestigious Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to Information Technology in 2011. She bases her life and all activities on a reality- and reason-based philosophy.
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