Immigrant women in IT: discrimination in work, and solutions for their employment

Even though working conditions and salaries are better than average, few women are present in the IT field. Working in a minority context brings specific difficulties, but what about immigrant women in IT, who are doubly minoritized by their gender and ethnic origin? Based on qualitative research with women who work in IT, we found that immigrant women more often mentioned the importance of advanced education; that they too have faced discrimination because of their gender; that they have sometimes experienced remarks about their ethnicity and may fear that they have less access to promotions; and that they are more aware of their role as models for the next generations. In the opinion of the participants, despite the difficulties that immigrant women encountered, they suggest that their background and their experience prepare them to face ethnic and gender discrimination. They suggested solutions: more cultural diversity and women in teams; put women forward and give them confidence so that they can experiment with IT and evolve in this environment; encourage the hiring of women.