According to the State of Technology Report released last year by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), women will make up 49% of all U.S. adult workers in 2022, but women will continue to occupy fewer roles in computing and technology. The percentage is only 26%. Black and Hispanic women are significantly underrepresented. Despite efforts to address this gender gap, the proportion of women in technology jobs has declined over the past 35 years, with approximately half of women leaving their IT industry by the age of 35.
Even more disappointing, while a healthy number of young girls and women are enrolling and thriving in early education STEM programs, this enthusiasm and drive appears to be waning at the university level, where they can earn an income. Only 16% of people with disabilities are women. Bachelor’s degree in Computer and Information Science.
The lack of women in an industry that is fundamentally reshaping our economy and society puts everyone at a disadvantage. If the industry wants to develop solutions designed for people from a wide range of backgrounds, more women need to be included in that development. There are a wide variety of reasons why this does not happen, but there are some common issues that higher education is especially well suited to address.
- gender bias: Traditional gender roles and cultural norms leave girls with less exposure to technology during their formative years, and unconscious bias can further reinforce these stereotypes throughout primary and secondary education.
- Lack of representation: Fewer women in tech means fewer opportunities for girls to imagine themselves in the industry.
- male-dominated environment: Men outnumber women in technology classrooms and offices, and this dynamic often leaves women feeling excluded.
Here are four ways universities can help break down these barriers and close the gender gap in technology.
- Join early!Leaks in the technology pipeline start from the beginning. A 2020 Cornell University study found that even if they excel in math or science, few young women plan to pursue a career in STEM fields during high school.
“We don’t need to improve young women’s math test scores or confidence in their math abilities as much as we need to encourage more women to plan careers in science-related careers,” the study authors wrote. . If we want to increase workforce diversity in STEM fields in general and technology fields in particular, young women need to see these fields as viable career paths.
One way universities can help students expand their career trajectories is by partnering with local schools to offer STEM programming early, even before high school.
Some universities and colleges, including my own, are already working in this direction, offering summer STEM academies and mentoring of elementary and high school students by STEM practitioners. This type of programming helps students prepare for college or a career in her STEM field.
We need to do this on a broader scale, with students of all ages, to further encourage interest in technology-related careers. We should also look for ways to further inspire students, such as through technology competitions that award scholarships.
- Adopt technology role modelsDiverse expressions arouse diverse interests in technology. Young women need to see themselves in the technology field before pursuing a career in it.
Universities and colleges can provide such role models by hiring more female faculty in technology fields and hiring more female staff to manage campus technology. Higher education must exemplify the diversity within our universities that we want from industry, but we are currently falling short of that level.
According to the American Association of University Women, only 14% of tenure-track computer science faculty are women, and a 2019 report from the Association of University Human Resources Professionals found that women make up only a small percentage of IT talent in higher education. Only 26%.
To solve this problem more broadly, we must prioritize closing the gender gap within our own ranks.
- Build a comprehensive technology programFor women who choose to major in technical fields, the obstacles are endless. According to her 2020 study by Accenture and Girls Who Code, the percentage of women who drop out of technology classes is 37%, compared to 30% for other programs. So how can universities support women’s development if they choose to major in technology?
We need to rethink our programs to be more welcoming to women. The American Association of College Women focused on a small liberal arts college in California that saw its share of women graduating from computing programs increase from 12% to about 40% in just five years. how? By revising our introductory computing courses, providing more research opportunities, and involving female students in conferences focused on women in computing. We need to follow that example.
- Promote the benefits of technologyTechnology has revolutionized the way we live and will continue to have a profound impact on society, especially as we battle huge challenges such as the climate crisis and income inequality. We are just beginning to explore how artificial intelligence and other technologies can help tackle problems like this, and we are working to engage students and enable them to be part of these solutions. is needed.
Universities can start by promoting the research being done within their own institutions to drive change, and where possible, inviting young people to participate in that research.
Technology will shape our future, and how that technology is built and operated is a direct reflection of the influence of the people who create it. Microsoft researcher Kate Crawford recently wrote: “Inclusion is key, from who designs to who sits on the company’s board of directors and what ethical perspectives are included.”
Solving the issue of gender diversity in the tech industry, or at least reversing its decline, will take time. As a first step, universities can develop support structures and training programs that encourage more young women to pursue technology majors, earn degrees, and ultimately pursue career paths in their fields of study. Masu. Companies then need to move beyond her DEI rhetoric and establish programs that continue to support them through coaching, mentoring, and cultural communities.
If we truly want to leverage technology for the greater good of the whole, we need to open the door to more people, especially more women, to participate in the development of technology. If universities take the steps above to welcome more women into their institutions to pursue technology degrees and support them throughout their education journey, they will begin to effectively close the gender gap in technology and emerge stronger. You can build innovative and better technology. Toward a more diverse industry.