According to a study, only 16.6 per cent of women work in the IT sector in Germany. This puts Germany in 20th place out of 41 OECD and EU countries analysed. At REWE digital in Kiel, which also includes colleagues from toom and REWE, around 23 per cent of employees are female (14 out of 60 employees), which is above average. Stefanie Dohrn and Anabell Fuksa are working hard to achieve this. The two are employed as IT Test Manager Expert and IT Test Analyst at REWE digital and have set themselves the goal of attracting more women to the company in Kiel. The two believe that REWE digital has a corporate culture that promotes and values women and that female colleagues benefit from this. In an interview with one, they talked about the female side of IT.

One: What specific measures have you taken to strengthen the Kiel location and get more women on board? Which institutions are you networked with locally?
Stefanie Dohrn: We are still at the beginning with our measures. We are in contact with the IHK and DiWiSH (Digitale Wirtschaft Schleswig Holstein), an industry network for small and medium-sized companies in the IT, media and design industries in the region. We also want to be present at trade fairs and Girl's Day and get involved in business networks for women.

Anabell Fuksa: Another point is that we formulate job advertisements specifically for women. We currently receive few applications from women; we are trying to increase the proportion with our measures. We want to further expand the site and take on a responsible role in the further development of the organisation.

one: Why is it important to have more women in IT? Do women do things differently to men?
Stefanie Dohrn: Women often have a different approach to problems. That is enriching. As the applications are used in very different ways, as many people as possible with different perspectives should be involved in the development. In agile software development, organisation, communication, teamwork and creativity are becoming increasingly important.

one: Why are there relatively few women in the IT industry?
Anabell Fuksa: Many women are probably afraid of getting involved because the IT and technology sector has always been seen as a male domain. The cliché of the nerd persists. What's more, male role models are often visible in IT. There is still too little female representation in IT. We need to work on making female role models more visible.

Stefanie Dohrn: In addition, many people have no idea what activities and career paths are possible in the IT environment. There is too little insight and outlook in training and studies. There is a lack of practical use cases. In addition, career counselling still tends to recommend technical professions to boys and social professions to girls. Yet diverse teams are very enriching for companies.

one: And when women work in the IT sector, do they have to assert themselves against their male colleagues? What are your experiences and those of your colleagues from other companies?
Anabell Fuksa: In our professional lives, we women repeatedly encounter very different colleagues and superiors and not every experience is positive.

n the first ten years of my work as a software developer, I repeatedly had the feeling that, as a female developer, I would only be heard and taken seriously in otherwise exclusively male groups if I adapted to the group dynamics among male colleagues. It was a frustrating experience having to pretend back then. In addition, after the birth of my first child, I was told by a superior: "No, that (in this case the next career step) is not currently planned for you. You're a mum now. If the child is sick, you'll stay at home". This prejudice, which didn't apply to me and my equal partnership, hit me hard at the time. It made me cautious and insecure in my dealings with colleagues and superiors.

Fortunately, this kind of outdated way of thinking is much less common today. By switching to REWE digital, I enjoy working in a team again because I can be myself again and am accepted by my colleagues.

Stefanie Dohrn: Fortunately, I've had more contact with people who have supported women in general and me in particular. But as a woman, you definitely have to have a strong demeanour, be able to assert yourself, be loud and visible so that you are taken seriously.

one: And your experiences at REWE digital are different? How does it work here with returning to work after maternity leave and parental leave?
Anabell Fuksa: REWE digital and its own team make it easier for both women and men to return to work after parental leave. Integration and working in the team are completely independent of being a mother or father, everyone is a fully-fledged part of the team. I really appreciate that, because not all companies take that for granted.

Stefanie Dohrn: We treat each other with respect and understanding. There is no negative stamp for mothers - even part-time management positions are no problem. The atmosphere is relaxed and you are also on an equal footing with your superiors.

one: Sounds like you would like to work at REWE digital in Kiel.
Anabell Fuksa: Absolutely! The appreciative and trusting working atmosphere and the respectful interaction - including remotely with colleagues from other locations, of course - inspire my own work. In my opinion, REWE digital is a modern, fair employer with lots of opportunities for committed employees.

Stefanie Dohrn: Definitely! It's a very cool location here. Flexible working hours and remote work are possible, and we work with a wide range of technologies and modern hardware. We are also very open and diverse and do a lot to make everyone feel comfortable here.