Women in software firms in Argentina: What do we know and what should we know?

Abstract

This article focuses on the labor environment of firms in the software and Information technology (IT) industry sector in Argentina (SIS) in relation to the participation of women in IT areas. Based on the verification of the low participation of women in this type of activities at a global and local level, this text offers a literary review on the possible barriers faced by women who work in IT (briefly, activities related to software production) in these firms. Specifically, we systematize the existence of barriers in four dimensions: i. Recruitment; ii. Evaluation; iii. Promotion, and iv. Work dynamics. The main findings are related to barriers at the level of practices in these firms, in terms of the circulation of stereotypes but also in working, spatial and organizational conditions. In turn, we identified a relevant lack of literary coverage on the rules that govern these firms in each analytical dimension.