Computing is known for being a field where men are overrepresented compared to women. However, many innovations regarding computing were initiated by women throughout History. At the start of the 2020s, how well are women represented in IT?
Up until the 1960s, the vast majority of programmers have been women. They were for example responsible for the programmation of the very first electronic computer in the 1940s. However, the percentage of women in computing dropped in the ’80s. Nowadays, while women are still underrepresented in this field, the gap is slowly closing and their skills are highly estimated.
Computing And IT Need Women
Even if women,are still a minority, the computing field is looking for female employees in the recruitment process, and fun fact: they are actually seen as more efficient in managing positions than their male counterparts.
Companies and digital experts are currently wondering about the potential imbalance of having products that are vastly programmed by men, especially regarding AI products and the way they ‘think’.
Schools of Engineering such as ESILV and companies want to bridge the gap between men and women in the computing field and are implementing solutions to attract more and more women in their ranks. Studies showed that only a huge inclusion movement can allow women to find their place within the computing field.
Computing: An Ambitious Career Choice For Women
While computing is still dominating by men, women working in this industry are usually very well treated. Acts of discrimination or sexism are rare, and only very few of them have experienced it. Overall, women judge the computing field as safe and non-toxic.
According to them, female computer scientists have access to good career opportunities and judge their work conditions to be very satisfying. They also add that being part of a minority in their working area is extremely beneficial while looking for a job because it allows them to separate themselves from the crowd.
Young girls should be informed about the possibility to work in the computing field from high school to understand that they can pursue a career in this industry and that it is not exclusive to men.
Interested in Engineering? Check out ESILV’s programmes.