Computer programming is one of those occupations that has always suffered from an image problem. As soon as anyone utters the word ‘coding’, a picture of a spotty teenager with thick spectacles and bad BO pops into your head. What’s more, that geeky teenager in your head is almost always a boy.
Traditionally, girls at school shied away from studying IT because it was not regarded as ‘cool’. Over the last 15 years, however, most children of school age have become so accustomed to using computers in their daily lives that the whole concept of ‘studying’ IT has come to be regarded as boring and pointless.
The curriculum is changing, and increasingly IT lessons will focus on computer science rather than Microsoft Office – on creating technology rather than just merely consuming it. But will the old stereotypes live on, or will this new era of IT education bring about a renaissance in the computing industry that will see girls finally accepting IT as a valid career path?
There is no question that demand for programming skills is on the rise. Businesses want employees who can boost their digital profiles and help them keep pace with technological change; meanwhile more and more individuals are expressing a desire to learn the basics of computer programming, in order to customise their websites or write their own apps.
One in six women of the women on this year's Forbes power list works in the technology field, including Google's Susan Wojcicki, Yahoo's Marissa Mayer, Xerox's Ursula Burns, Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg and HP's Meg Whitman. These women have attained their positions by overcoming the stereotypes and putting their own stamp on the industry.
In the professional world, however, women still represent under a fifth of IT managers, 21 percent of computer analysts, and 14 percent of software professionals. By ruling out IT at an early age, girls are missing out on valuable skills that could give them a considerable advantage in a highly competitive jobs market.
According to Angie Maguire, co founder of Ladies Who Code, one of the big problems for women considering a career in IT is the fact that they feel so outnumbered.
“As a professional developer, the first time you go to one of these tech conferences or expos can be really intimidating, because you walk in and there are all these male groups standing around,” said Maguire. “In reality, of course, there are lots of women who code, but that’s not always obvious at these big events.”
According to research conducted by the University of Sussex at the end of last year, only 22 percent of female computer science graduates take up an occupational role that is defined as ‘ICT work’, compared to 39 percent of men, suggesting that it is not so much the subject itself that is seen as unappealing, but the working environment.
Ladies Who Code aims to tackle this by providing a platform for female programmers to connect and speak to the wider community. The organisation was founded in New York in 2011 by Angie Maguire and Shoshi Roberts of Mint Digital, and now has chapters in NYC, London, Birmingham, Manchester and Washington DC.
“For beginners who are excited and passionate, we provide encouragement, code reviews, professional advice, and role models to those who may not have previously seen themselves represented in the field. By celebrating women in tech and creating a welcoming community, we can play a part in shifting the gender ratio in the field to a more balanced state,” said Maguire.
Ladies Who Code is hosting its first European conference at the heart of Silicon Roundabout in London today, Saturday 26 October. Speakers include Marianne Bellotti (Exversion), Yodit Stanton (Atomic Data Labs), Desi McAdam (Thoughtbot) Sally Jenkinson (Freelance), Dr. Sepi Chakaveh (Sofwired.com) and Elena Perez Rioja (Facebook).
“Men are welcome at the conference as well as women; it is a celebration of exceptional women in programming and the more people that support that, the better,” said Maguire.
While there is still a very long way to go before the gender divide in technology and computer programming is closed, being a 'girl geek' is no longer the crippling embarrassment it once was, and with various organisations working hard to improve the image of coders, attitudes are changing.
As the world becomes increasingly digitised, 'smarter' and more interactive, women owe it to themselves to learn some technological skills, because in doing so they are gaining the power to shape the digital world in which they exist, rather than passively observing as men build it around them.
Free online resources for beginners:
Skillcrush - 10 day email bootcamp
Girl Develop It
Udacity Free Online University Courses
Coursera Free Online University Courses
Code Racer Fun way of practicing new skills
Meetups and hack events:
Ladies Who Code
Girls In Tech
Girl Geek Dinners
Women in Data
Ladies Who Code (UK and US)
Anita Borg Conference (US)
Write Speak Code (US)
Free classes for young programmers:
Girls Who Code
Little Miss Geek
Paid courses for beginners: