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Women in Computing: Challenges & Opportunities

This article discusses the challenges faced by women in the computing field, including the decline in their representation and the struggle to attain leadership positions. It also provides opportunities to address these challenges and encourage more women to pursue careers in computing.

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Women in Computing: Challenges & Opportunities

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  1. IEEE Computer SocietyWomen in Computing: Challenges and Opportunities Jill I. Gostin IEEE CS MGAB Vice Chair, Geographic Activities jgostin@ieee.org April 27, 2017

  2. Why are we talking about this? • A recent study showed that by 2025, the number of women in the computing workforce will decline to 22%; in 1995 that number was 37%! • Women in STEM careers continue to struggle to get into leadership positions • Women leave high-tech companies at 2x the rate of their male colleagues • And every woman has a story

  3. Outline • The challenge of growing our numbers • The challenge of being a woman in a male-dominated work environment • The chance to turn challenges into opportunities • The road ahead

  4. Source: National Science Foundation, American Bar Association, American Association of Medical Colleges Credit: Quoctrung Bui/NPR

  5. The Challenge of Growing our Numbers • Why do girls choose STEM fields? • Parent influence, parent in the field • Inspirational teacher / mentor • Liking challenges / problem solving • Wanting to be different (big fish in small pond)

  6. The Challenge of Growing our Numbers • Why do women choose a STEM career? • A path with many options • Good employment opportunities • Strong salaries, flexible work options • Enjoyable, Making an Impact • Work/life balance options, good work environment

  7. The Challenge of Growing Our Numbers • How do we encourage women to go into the profession • Better awareness of what we do • Improve career advice – wide range of options, impact, ability to change your focus • Change the way girls/women think (perfection is not required) – it’s not just for boys/men! • MENTOR

  8. The Challenge of Growing Our Numbers • Why do women leave? • work conditions – feeling misunderstood, unappreciated • work-life integration (the “family penalty”) • lost interest in the work • organizational climate

  9. The Challenge of Growing Our Numbers • How to keep women: • encourage diversity on all teams • Include women in key leadership positions • implement unconscious bias training and processes • provide mentoring opportunities • offer professional development training & events • provide tools and resources to help address women’s issues, such as flex time, telecommuting, maternity/paternity leave, vacation time

  10. The Challenge of Growing Our Numbers:Some of the numbers! • In 1984, 37 percent of computer science graduates were women. Today, women represent 12 percent of all computer science graduates. • Women make up half the US workforce, but only 25 percent of jobs in technical or computing fields. • 58% of women working in computing who went to college did not major in computing as undergraduates. • Portrayals of men as computer scientists and engineers in family films outnumber portrayals of women by 14.25 to 1

  11. universal access to computing in schools will not address the gender gap. Only by tailoring courses to girls’ specific needs can we boost their commitment to computing. This report recommends a fresh approach that could increase the number of women in computing to 3.9 million by 2025. That would lift their share from 24% to 39% of the computing workforce The Challenge of Growing Our Numbers:More Numbers • WhiteHouse.gov estimates that there could be 2.4 million unfilled STEM jobs in the U.S. by 2018. • In India, 37% of computing and business process management workers were women in 2015 • Within the high growth area of analytics, the U.S. has a shortage of professionals, while China and India have a surplus.

  12. The Challenge of Being a Woman in a Male Dominated Environment • Every woman has a story about a challenge she has faced • Vocal women are viewed as overly aggressive • Less vocal women are viewed as timid, or even out of their league • Women use language that men view as weak • Women socialize differently than men and are often excluded from the “after work” get-togethers

  13. The Challenge of Being a Woman in a Male Dominated Environment • Women often have more of the daily-task responsibilities at home, and therefore aren’t as readily available for travel / working late / etc. • 26% of female board members in the U.S. have tech experience, versus 17% of men. • Women tend to underestimate their abilities and their performance, while men tend to overestimate both – but performance levels are equivalent!

  14. The Chance to Turn Challenges into Opportunities • Tell your story, and the lessons you learned from it • Change your point of view – it’s not a challenge, it’s a temporary obstacle • The more you speak up, the easier it will become. Be vocal. But also listen, and respond. • Don’t be ignored – if you are, speak up again say that you want to discuss your suggestion • Use your ability to be vocal to advocate for yourself and others

  15. The Chance to Turn Challenges into Opportunities • If you are someone that very rarely speaks up – make it memorable. Be a woman of few words… but they are words of high impact. • Be assertive with your words. Confidence convinces. • Be the one to suggest social events – that way you can organize some to fit your schedule and commitments Listen l Think l Speak l Listen

  16. The Road Ahead:Why Work in Computing / STEM? • Change the World – go read the stories! • Work/Life Balance options • Tech companies are more likely to have maternity and paternity leave • Good salaries, and many jobs available • Skillsets are widely applicable, offering many career options and flexibility

  17. The Road Ahead: I’m already in a STEM career • Serve as a mentor • Share your experiences and your story, enhancing the computing profession • Encourage and engage others through participation in your professional society • Actively work to help minimize unconscious bias (there are preventative measures!)

  18. What Lies Ahead:EVENTS • IEEE WIE ILC, May 23-24, San Jose, CA “Lead Beyond” • IEEE WIE 2017 Summits in multiple locations around the world! • Grace Hopper Celebration, Oct 4-6, Orlando, FL • Many local events, use Google and your network to find opportunities

  19. IEEE Computer SocietyWomen In Computing Questions? Ideas?

  20. Thanks for attending!Women in Computing: Challenges and Opportunities Jill I. Gostinjgostin@ieee.org 27 April 2017

  21. References • http://www.csmonitor.com/Technology/2014/0512/Why-so-few-women-in-tech-Seven-challenges-and-potential-solutions/The-amount-of-women-graduating-with-computer-science-degrees-has-drastically-decreased-in-the-last-three-decades.-One-solution-Girls-Who-Code • https://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/project/gendergap/www/papers/sigcse97/sigcse97.html • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_computing • http://ideas.ted.com/4-reasons-women-dont-thrive-in-tech-and-what-we-should-do-about-them/ • http://fortune.com/2015/04/20/the-pervasive-bias-against-female-computer-science-majors/ • http://www.computerscience.org/resources/women-in-computer-science/ • http://www.mercurynews.com/2014/02/25/women-missing-out-on-lucrative-careers-in-computer-science/ • http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2014/10/28/359419934/who-studies-what-men-women-and-college-majors • Korn, Melissa, “Science, Engineering Studies Are Still a Hard Sell to Women”, wsj.com, April 11, 2017 • Accenture, Girls Who Code, “Cracking the Gender Code, Get 3X More Women in Computing”, 2016 • Ashcraft, Catherine, Brad McLain, Elizabeth Eger, “Women in Tech: The Facts”, ncwit.org, 2016

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