The lack of women in the IT sector in the Netherlands is an urgent problem, with only 10% of the workforce female.

The country compares badly with other countries worldwide despite new initiatives, as well as established organisations campaigning to encourage girls and women into IT.

It’s remarkable there are so few women working in IT, as the beginning of automation was dominated by women. Many of the early electronic computers, such as Eniac in the US and the Arra in the Netherlands, were operated and programmed by women.

VHTO is working with female professionals to provide children with IT role models. The women visit primary and secondary schools to give information about their work and being a female in a male-dominated environment. In recent years, several women have established IT networks for women in the Netherlands, such as “Female Ambassadors in IT” and “Platform Woman and ICT”.