“If people don’t go on line by the year 2000, they will be left behind.” (Pasternak & Thornburg, 1999)
Fastest
growing jobs 1992-2005:
| Number of New Jobs | % Change from 1991 | |
| Computer Engineers | 236,000 | 112% |
| System Analysts | 501,000 | 110% |
Even though it may appear that our society has made strides in the equal opportunity battle, more men than women are still found in the high paying creative jobs in software development. Many women are stuck in the low paying data entry jobs and at the call centers. The new abundance of call centers in our nation has been dubbed the “sweatshops of the digital era.” (Information Technology Revolution, 2001) They are rote positions that do not require creativity and there is often no room for advancement.
Women in technology fields can bring some things to the table that men do not. In addition to excellent communication skills, women can also bring the intelligence to show that technology is not a field that should remain associated with men only. Women bring with them a fresh, new perspective to enhance some stagnant situations. On a positive note, “…since 1994, the number of female professors in the Computer Science field has increased by 100%.” (Rieck, 2001)