Information Technology Services (ITS)
Breaking barriers: Women in IT and higher ed at IT@UofT 2025
Published on: July 24, 2025
Despite progress in gender equity, women remain underrepresented in IT and STEM, particularly in managerial and technical roles. And while women lead approximately 40 per cent of Canadian colleges and institutes, there are few in senior IT leadership roles.
How can we foster more inclusive pipelines to career development in tech for women?
To discuss these questions, the 2025 IT@UofT conference featured a panel discussion hosted by U of T CIO Dr. Donna K. Kidwell on challenges and future opportunities for women in tech.
Dr. Kidwell was joined by five panelists:
- Aisha Maywandi (IT Specialist, Information & Instructional Technology Services, University of Toronto Scarborough)
- Maddie Osei (Information Security and Business Analyst, ITS)
- Ammena Ajaz (Business Analyst, Information & Instructional Technology Services, University of Toronto Mississauga)
- Saira Mall (Manager, Educational Innovation & Academic Initiatives, Centre for Teaching and Learning, UTSC)
- Ashley Langille (Information Privacy & Business Analyst, ITS)
The panelists reflected on the importance of mentorship, the uniqueness of the higher education sector, impostor syndrome, role models and more.
One common thread was the role played by other women in mentorship roles who fostered peer networks and created visibility for women in technology workplaces.
“I had a director who really guided me in a way that led to future roles,” said Saira Mall. “I never expected to be working in this area,” says Mall of managing a team of educational developers and overseeing support for educational technologies like Quercus, U of T’s learning management system and integrated lecture capture tools. “But I’m really happy to be.”
“Strong females in leadership roles are what mattered to me most in my career,” agreed Ashley Langille, with Maddie Osei also expressing gratitude to the women who have inspired her and pushed her to succeed.
Dr. Kidwell observed that the work of managing should be intentional. Good leadership means “recognizing that mentorship is something you get to do and have to do,” asserted Dr. Kidwell.
Turning to the topics of expertise and confidence, the panel debated impostor syndrome at all career levels, with Aisha Maywandi highlighting the importance of a good support system to instill confidence in one’s skill and knowledge.
When discussing gender representation in senior leadership, Dr. Kidwell pointed out that “CIOs are still a heavily male-dominated career path — although this has been changing over the last few years.”
“Cyber security has real issues when it comes to being a sustainable role for women,” said Dr. Kidwell.
“Cyber careers include a wide range of skills including strong communication and diplomacy skills. Women often develop these early in their careers.”
Looking to the future, Dr. Kidwell posed a key question to all panelists: “What’s one thing you actively do, or you wish more professionals did, that would support the next generation of women?”
Langille chimed in that she would like to see “more formal mentorship programs, especially with young female students.”
“They are so interested,” says Langille of undergraduate students. “I’ve had so many young women students reach out to me, about data privacy and information security especially.”
Osei echoed Langille by noting that she and her team make an active effort to hire students into work-study roles in the Information Security unit at a time when the job market is particularly tough for new grads with little experience.
In a final parting note, Mall encouraged women in tech to weigh in on workplace conversations and debates — even if they’re experiencing doubt about their expertise or perspective.
“Use your voice,” she said. “Share your ideas. Because your ideas matter.”
