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Createch reports

Recent research has identified a 'leaky pipeline' of women, Māori and Pacific people. Two reports were prepared to identify where and why these 'leaks' are occurring.

Fixing the Leaky Pipeline

Click below to read the reports:

How to improve participation rates for Māori, Pacific people and wāhine in the creative technology workforce in Aotearoa

 

Why are there gender disparities for women in creative technology study and careers?

Recent research commissioned by Toi Mai and conducted by Massey University highlighted significant barriers for wāhine, Māori and Pacific people in creative technology (createch) education and training. The research identified a significant drop in young wāhine, Māori and Pacific people studying related subjects between secondary and tertiary levels, diverting them from valuable creative technology career pathways and perpetuating a sector-wide gendered and homogenous division of labour.

Data gathered shows that in year 13, there is strong representation of women in creative technology subjects, but the average percentage of women across these subjects moving onto tertiary study (levels 5–7) is below 40%. That statistic is even lower for Māori and Pacific learners.

The game development industry demonstrates the impact of this, with only 25% of their workforce identifying as female and just 3% being made up of Māori and Pacific peoples, who comprise around 25% of the population of Aotearoa (source: NZ Interactive Media Survey 2022).

Barriers contributing to this “leaky pipeline” of diverse talent include:

  • a lack of visibility of wāhine, Māori and Pacific people working in the sector meaning many do not see createch as a viable career pathway
  • a lack of clarity about the pathways young women need to take through secondary school education to lead onto vocational or tertiary education in these subjects
  • systemic biases towards non-male and non-Pākehā perspectives and contributions in the tech sector subject areas
  • narratives about the sector being ‘unsafe’ for women meaning students are often directed off this path regardless of talent – by careers advisors, teachers and often their own families.

To tackle these challenges, there is much work to be done by Toi Mai and in collaboration with schools, training providers, industry and government agencies.