Celebrating Women in Tech: Karolliny Nayra dos Santos Lima

This series of portraits celebrates young women working with the openIMIS Initiative from across the world in diverse technical roles. Women make up less than a third of the global tech workforce, with even fewer women at senior levels. In line with BMZ’s Feminist Development Policy, openIMIS actively seeks to address this gender gap.

Country: Brazil
Title & Organisation: IT Analyst, Dataprev
Education: Bachelor's Degree in Systems Analysis and Development and MBA in Business Process Analysis. Certified in CSPO.

About Dataprev: Dataprev is a state-owned technology company in Brazil that manages large databases and develops IT solutions to support government policies on social security. Its aim is to make public services more agile, accessible and effective.
Dataprev and openIMIS: Dataprev has observer status on the openIMIS Stakeholder Committee and regularly collaborates with openIMIS. In July 2024, a webinar in Brazil hosted by the Secretariat for the Brazilian-German Digital Dialogue, in collaboration with the Code for Development (Code4Dev) initiative of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), showcased openIMIS and its partnership with Dataprev. In November 2024, Dataprev and openIMIS jointly hosted a workshop on openIMIS during the International Social Security Association (ISSA) technical seminar.

How did you become interested in working in IT?
“I have been working in technology for nearly 18 years, but it all started when I was leaving primary school and one of our teachers strongly advised us to study technology. I took this advice to heart and went on to study for a technology degree. At university, I was inspired by female IT professors who really encouraged me to pursue my IT career. Since graduating, I have worked in public and private sector businesses, developing my knowledge and skills, for example in project management, process analysis and innovation, as well as studying for post-graduate certificates and degrees.”

Are there areas where women are underrepresented in Tech? 
“Female representation in the IT workforce could definitely improve in Brazil. When I graduated, there were only four women in my class and nearly 30 male colleagues! Although this situation is changing for the better, there are still important jobs where women are underrepresented, such as infrastructure analysts, computer network analysts and information security analysts, particularly at senior levels.”
 

What are the challenges and advantages of being a woman working in digital tech? 
“I think a major challenge for women working in IT is self-confidence. I often see female colleagues with great potential who are worried they won't meet the expectations of their male – usually more senior - colleagues. And although I believe women have potential to be great IT leaders, it is still more common to find women in supporting roles. Women are good communicators – they bring a softness and grace to the way they communicate, and this natural ability is sometimes mistaken for a lack of confidence.”

What are you most proud of in your work?
“Rather than using the word ‘proud’, I would say that I feel ‘satisfaction and joy’. I'm happiest when sharing my knowledge through teaching and collaborating with others. I like to work in teams where people understand how to work respectfully and with a joyful spirit. I feel fortunate to be able to manage projects and to work on and deliver innovative solutions in order to help solve society's problems.”