- Postdoctoral Researcher, LUT University
- DEIB Champion of the Year, finalist
When I was a child, I was fortunate to have a female entrepreneur in the IT sector and other women working in the field in my immediate circle. Because of their example, I never questioned as a small child whether this field was right for me.
Although as a child I thought I could be anything, by the time I was in lower secondary school, people were already hinting that I didn’t belong in computer classes, for example. I am interested in discourse and narrative research because I am so tired of how often women – much more often than men – are asked why they are in the technology field. Although the question may seem innocent, the fact that you notice that only women are asked this question also sends a signal that we are not expected to be here.
I am a researcher specialising in human capital in the software industry, focusing particularly on expertise, skilled workers and diversity in the field of software development. My work covers both education and working life aspects: for example, I study the transition of women and career changers to the IT sector, the impact of hybrid work on community spirit and the sense of belonging, and the backlash against diversity and inclusion practices in the technology sector.
My publications and research produce both new empirical data and practical recommendations on how the software industry can become more diverse, inclusive, and sustainable – while strengthening the industry’s human capital, efficiency and new innovations.
Translation: Notaatio. This is a shortened version, read the original here (in Finnish).