When TitanFile organized DemoCamp Halifax in August, it chose an interesting cause to which it donated the proceeds: Dalhousie University’s Women in Technology Society.

I say interesting because the name is a tad deceptive, especially the word “Society”, which connotes companionship and good cheer, possibly a meeting place to discuss shared interests. But the Dalhousie group and comparable organizations in other campuses and workplaces address an acute pain-point in the development of the knowledge economy.

There are too few women choosing technology as a career, and more than half of those in the field want out.

"Not a lot of women are going into technology – about 15 percent of (of the university students studying computer science), or roughly the same level as in the mid-1980s, that’s down significantly from 2000-2001," said Emily Boucher, Vice-President of Marketing for the new Atlantic Canadian chapter of Canadian Women in Technology, or CanWIT.

CanWIT grew out of the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance in 2005-6, and employs four methods – mentorship, advocacy, professional development and networking – to promote its mission of advancing women’s careers in advanced technology and making the IT sector a place where women feel comfortable. It has been establishing chapters across the country, and the newest is the Atlantic Canadian chapter, which was launched at a session at the Innovation Forum in Fredericton 10 days ago.

The goal of paving a pathway for women in the most dynamic sector of the economy is as laudable in Atlantic Canada as it is elsewhere, but this new chapter has an especially critical mission.  Its work will benefit everyone in the region, not just women.

The Atlantic Canadian economy greatly needs more growth in IT, and its biggest challenge arguably is finding talent. Yet half the population – the female half – perceives negligible opportunity in the field. So female high school students choosing career paths stay away from this sector in droves.

“A lot of it is not knowing what’s involved in IT,” said Boucher, who is also the Director of Communications at CATA. “They think it’s all programing or engineering but they don’t see the creative side of it.”

So part of CanWIT’s mission is to work with educators and school boards to let teenagers know about the challenging and rewarding careers in IT and the huge opportunities in the field.The time to interest women in technology, she said, is at 13 to 15 years of age – the same age a large proportion of males are developing an interest in it. Working with such partners as MicroSoft, Status of Women Canada and the National Research Council, they developed a program called BringITon (with the I and the T capitalized) to educate young women about the exciting opportunities in a range of technological fields.

The other side of it the CanWIT mission is to do more to improve the quality of work experience for women in information technology now.

“In the next 10 years, 52 percent of women in the IT field plan to quit because of lack of support,” said Boucher, referring to a recent survey.

She said a big problem is the lack of diversity programs within IT companies, so CanWIT will soon be working with employers – especially small companies – to establish diversification programs so women and minorities will be made more at ease and more confident in the work place.

It’s worth repeating that these projects are in the best interests of our entire economy, because we need knowledge economy companies in the region, and those companies are having trouble finding good employees. The attraction of women to this segment is as important as programs drawing immigrants to the region

"Immigration and women in technology are both huge factors that can help fill the technology skills shortage) in this country," said Boucher.