What do you think of when you hear the word technology? Maybe it’s the dictionary definition or the new and innovative objects that are made. But have you ever thought about the people behind the tech? There are many programmers and engineers that work hard to create new and improved technology for the betterment of humanity, but there’s one thing that often goes misjudged.
Being a computer science major, I can say that there is an often unspoken elephant when you walk into a classroom. There is a very uneven ratio of male to female presence. It’s not something that many people think about but it is too obvious to ignore. Before deciding to enter the field of technology, I had done quite a lot of research and it always led me to a specific statistic: Only 20% of computer scientists are women. Believe it or not, this percentage has only gone up to 20% recently. It took me some time to process this fact and it still surprises me today, but after experiencing the world of college and my courses which are heavily dominated by men, I have come to observe that there is a certain stigma that goes along with being a woman in tech.
When people look at women in tech, they don’t always know what to assume. Some people only think about it as a field for men. Others think it’s too hostile of an environment. I’m here to clarify that being a woman in tech isn’t a negative thing! It’s actually pretty exciting. To be changing the idea of who can make technology is something that many are passionate about. Take it from Karlie Kloss: the amazing fashion model created a program called Kode with Klossy, a free coding camp that teaches girls how to code and empower them to hopefully become future programmers. She, along with many others, has been helping to change the perception of women in the field. And it’s not just women who have helped to change the perspective. Many of my professors and fellow classmates do everything they can to make a fun and welcoming community for all different kinds of personalities and people. Everyone has a different perspective and I think that because of this, we have been able to create a sense of inclusivity among people that work to create new technologies. You aren’t judged for your gender or what people think you’re capable of. We treat each other as though we can use our skills and passions to collaboratively complete our goals! Computer science and other technological fields are anything but unwelcoming and isolating. So let’s work together to raise that 20% higher and higher in the years to come and change the stigma about women in tech!