Electronics on the front line for gender equality

Awareness of gender equality is growing in the high-tech industry internationally, with associations and companies committed not only to increasing the presence of women in the sector through networking, mentoring and training, but also to retaining the female workforce, which has been challenged by the pandemic.

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electronics gender equality

by Virna Bottarelli

Make yourself comfortable: achieving gender equality will take more than a century. The World Economic Forum's "Global Gender Gap Report 2021" estimates that the timeframe for reversing the gender gap has been extended by another generation.

While the 2020 report estimated that it would take an average of 99.5 years to achieve parity worldwide, the latest report estimates 135.6 years. The forecast is different if we go into the details of the geographical areas: in Western Europe the gender gap could potentially close in 52 years, in North America in 61.5 years and in Latin America in almost 69 years. The pandemic, as we have learned from several sources in recent months, has had a greater negative impact on women. The consequences of the pandemic have compromised the parameters on which the Global Gender Gap Index is based: economic opportunities, education, health, political empowerment.

High-tech and the gender gap

In the electronics industry, at least on the other side of the ocean, sensitivity to the issue of gender equality has grown in recent years, with associations and companies committed to giving visibility to their various activities. At the forefront of promoting gender equality is the US association Women in Electronics. Founded in 2017 at the initiative of manager Jackie Mattox, Kemet's Monica Highfill and Amy Keller, then at Abracon and now at Arrow, Women in Electronics began its activities by offering mentoring and training programmes to help women overcome their fears and increase confidence in their personal and professional lives. In addition to Arrow, Avnet/Newark, Cornell Dubilier, Digi-Key, Kemet and TE Connectivity, who have supported the association since its foundation, other big names in electronics sponsor Women in Electronics: Amphenol, Avx, the TTI Group, Littelfuse. Since September 2020, the association has also opened a branch in Europe. The founders of the European division are Ruth Gray, Key Account Manager at Arrow, Kate Ziecina, Business Development & Sales Executive at Arrow, and Elena Davidovska, Inside Sales Manager at Waldom Electronics. On the Italian scene, it is worth mentioning the "Web Marketing Festival", an event dedicated to digital and social innovation, to be held in Rimini and online on 24, 25 and 26 June, which this year will once again host testimonials from experts and professionals in the field of Stem. As part of the initiative "Women in Tech, women and girls involved in the digital world will take to the stage to share their experiences and be an inspiration for the new generations and for the construction of a fairer working world. According to the "Women in the Digital Age" study carried out in 2020 by the European Commission, the gender gap between men and women in the technology sector is almost double compared to other sectors and clearly to the disadvantage of the female gender: only 18% of ICT specialists are women.

From the world of semiconductors

Semi Foundation Shari LissAchieving gender equality in the microelectronics sector is the goal Semi Foundationwhich is part of Semi, the association representing electronics manufacturers worldwide. Semi's goal is one that its Executive Director, Shari Lisscalls it nothing less than 'bold'.

Why is this so difficult to achieve? "Since its inception in the 1950s and 1960s, the semiconductor industry has been a male-only industry and today, although progress has been made, we are still a long way from achieving anything close to equal representation of women in the industry," says Liss. And confirming her view are the figures: according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 11.8% of electrical and electronic engineers and only 8.7% of mechanical engineers are women, while the American Association of University Women reports that women leave engineering careers more consistently and quickly than men. "The small number of women engaged in an engineering career and the smaller number of women who remain in engineering over the long term illustrate the worrying gender disparities in the industry, " Liss continues. The chip industry has also been affected by the pandemic, with one in four women considering leaving their jobs or changing careers due to the difficulties in working life resulting from Covid-19.

What initiatives does Semi Foundation organise to achieve the goal of gender equality in the industry?
There are several strategies with which we support gender equity in our industry: we promote talks at symposiums and conferences such as the Industry Strategy Symposium, Flex, Strategic Materials Conference and Semicon. We work closely with member companies to ensure their participation in McKinsey & Company's "Women in the Workplace" study and LeanIn.org, a key resource for understanding the important role women play in our industry's success. We publish articles on gender and racial inequality, highlighting the importance of diversity and inclusion to our collective success. We are also launching a national industry image and awareness campaign designed to raise awareness of the excellent careers available to women and other underrepresented groups in the microelectronics industry. Finally, we are creating a Roadmap for Dei (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) to support Semi on our journey towards gender and racial justice, and an "Dei Toolkit" full of resources and guides to support the industry in this work.

What are some achievements that Semi Foundation is particularly proud of?
There are several, starting with our Women in Semiconductors group, which was started in 2016 when a female engineer approached us to support an event focused on women working in the industry. The programme now provides a place for women to hear tips on how to develop their strengths and become managers, network with other women to hear best practice and support each other. Another is the Women at Flex event, now called Women in Tech, an annual event that highlights the challenges and opportunities for women in flexible electronics and wearable devices. We've also started the Manufacturing Ownership Diversity (Mod) group, which promotes and supports diverse companies that are at least 51% owned, managed and controlled by women or minorities in the semiconductor supply chain, and a 45-member board that advises our Global Workforce initiative on diversity, equity and inclusion. Finally, through our educational programme, High Tech U, we have provided more than 8,000 female high school students around the world with hands-on experience in Stem (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) subjects.


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