Women in Computer Science and Technology

How can we Hack the Gap?

By the numbers:

In the US…

In 2020, 57% of women graduated with a bachelor’s degree across the U.S., yet only 21% were awarded Computer Science and information degrees according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). This disparity is also reflected in the workplace, where in 2021 women made up 57% of the professional occupations in the U.S., yet only 26% were part of a professional computing occupation according to the National Center for Women and Information Technology (WIT).1

Bachelor's Degree Awarded - Title IV Degree-Granting Institutions in the US in Percentages (%)

In Minnesota…

Schools that offered a Bachelor’s degree and are not primarily online saw a total of 57% of women graduating with a bachelor’s degree, and yet only 19% were awarded a degree in Computer and Information Sciences. Similar if not the same results were consistent throughout the past 5 years, according to NCES.

Computer and Information Sciences and Support (CIP 11) - Minnesota in Percentages(%)

In 2014, NPR published an article with the title: There Aren’t Enough Women in Tech. Here’s Why. The article discussed how women's participation in different majors since the 1960s increased exponentially. In 1984, however, the participation of women in Computer Science decreased radically. Stereotypes that were prevalent in the media during the 1980s can be held responsible for this drastic decline. When families were able to purchase a computer, they restricted their use to boys only because they were marketed as tools for men. The lack of early exposure to computers led to a significant disadvantage between women and men in the classrooms, where professors perpetuated the stereotypes and expected students to know the content even if they were introductory.

For more information read Jane Margolis, *Unlocking the Clubhouse*.

Why aren’t there more women in technology?

In the workplace, the male majority perpetuated the stereotypes attributed to technology and women, where even if a female had the same or even more qualifications than her male counterpart, the male would receive the job or promotion. 1 The Pew Research Center found that women experience gender discrimination at significantly higher rates. Even if a woman was hired for a job, she faces great strides to feel comfortable in a male-dominated industry.

Professional Occupations in the 2021 U.S. Workforce

We have found that there are three components that have perpetuated the lack of participation of women in technology:

  1. Media reinforced stereotypes and the idea that women are not capable or interested in computer science and other technologies.

  2. Academia has perpetuated the stereotypes by giving an unfair advantage to males who were already exposed to computing and other opportunities.

  3. Companies perpetuated the cycle and hired males who were stereotypically seen as more capable in tech despite having a women who is more capable for the job. 1,2,

How can we reduce this gap?

Break the stereotype by increasing the representation of women in technology and allowing them to create their own narratives.

Influence academia to be more inclusive and accessible for underrepresented minorities and people starting in technology.

Companies in technology should sponsor and invest in underrepresented minorities

Hack the Gap sees the three following practices as necessary to address the historic misrepresentation of women in technology:

Experiences in Minnesota

Hack the Gap asked a diverse set of students about their experiences in their universities across Minnesota to understand what are the experiences of women in tech majors.

University Resources

  • Community is one of the most important determinants of women’s participation in CS majors.

    CS and other departments should make underrepresented minorities feel like they belong. The following practices might help achieve this:

    • Teach students how to work with each other instead of competing with each other.

    • Make introductory courses a space to increase retention instead of “weeding out” people who might not be prepared. Introductory courses should be a place to learn instead of a place to proof your knowledge.

    • Provide mandatory introductory courses with a no “show off” policy.

    • Include *ethics* and *social* responsibility in the curriculum to understand the broader implications of technology.

    • Merge tech majors with others to increase the interest from other people and retention rates.

    • Support the creation of affinity groups for women, people of color, LGBTIQ+ and other underrepresented minorities.

    • Provide accessible and confidential mechanisms to report biases, microaggressions, and discrimination.

    • Create a diversity committee that communicates directly with the Chair of departments.

    • Gather and apply meaningful data each semester to understand what changes are needed in the department

    • Hire and train diverse faculty who are committed and understand the need to diversify the department.

    • The chair department is one of the most important people who should be committed to create plans of actions to make these changes happen.

    • Northwestern University

    • University of Minnesota

      • Have incorporated a Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) plan with a focus in incentivizing, tracing, and organizing departmental level meaningful action informed by data and best practices.

    • Brown University

      • Have incorporated a BPC Plan with the goals of increasing participation of people who identify as women and are from HUGs through the use of data, partnerships and sponsorships.

    • Northeastern University

      • Have implemented a top-to-bottom approach, by increasing representation at the faculty, and graduate level.

      • Have established a Center for Inclusive Computing that offers grants, technical advising and data collection with other partner universities.

    • Washington University

      • Participate in the Building Recruiting and Inclusion for Diversity (BRAID) Program.

      • Take part in the AccessComputing Alliance to include students with disabilities

      • Provide a STAR program for low-income, first-generation and underserved backgrounds to navigate the transition to college.

    • Berkeley University

      • Implemented a BPE program.

      • Offer kickstarting in computer science programs (a one week introductory class in computer science designed for freshman women)

      • Provide summer research for undergraduate students opportunities, and peer support groups for different identity groups.

    • Harvard University

      • Have established a CS Diversity Committee to increase recruitment and retention of women and underrepresented minorities in computing.

      • Have an anonymous feedback form to gather anonymous information from students and have established “peer concentration advisors”.

    • University of Virginia

      • Provide grants to students seeking to attend conferences, gatherings, events and other events aligned with the mission of the Diversity Committee.

      • Incentivize undergraduate research and provide laptop loan programs.

    • Virginia Tech

      • Created a fund that contributes only to DEI efforts by the department.

      • Created a Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity (CEED) to support underrepresented populations.

      • Facilitate TechGirls, an international exchange program that invites 60+ girls from the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia to visit the university and learn coding, programming, and cybersecurity.

    • Tufts

      • Participate in the BRAID Initiative.

      • Have created student and affinity groups and a website to connect women in Computer Science at Tufts.

    • University of Florida

      • Affiliate of the BRAID Initiative.

      • Established a IDEA Committee and Industrial Advisory Board.

    • University of Chicago

      • Created an Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee.

      • Incorporated a BPC Plan aimed at fostering an inclusive environment for all students.

      • Provide a hub for women with an interest to meet and discuss about CS and career opportunities.

    • Boston University

      • Established a DEI Committee seeking to include DEI initiatives in all practices of the department, from recruitment to professional development.

      • Track and post climate surveys of the department.

    • University of Pennsylvania

      • Provide Penn Emerging Scholars Program (PESP) for freshman and sophomores to work in small groups to solve logical, algorithmic puzzles.

      • Have study halls where underrepresented students can meet and discuss about computer science and technology.

      • Provide undergraduate research opportunities exclusively for women.

    • MIT

      • Provide the Women’s in Technology Program focused on high-school students seeking to explore opportunities in computer science, electrical engineering and other fields.

      • Have a Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

    Universities such as the University of Minnesota , Carnegie Mellon University, Brown University, University of Chicago, Harvey Mudd College, among others have adopted a Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) Plan verified by BPC.net, a consultant in BPC plans. The list of examples and content of the plans can be found here.

Women in Tech

  • Monet Goode

    FOUNDER

  • Eleanor Parks

    SUSTAINABILITY DIRECTOR

  • Jamie Kokot

    CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER

  • Karl Holland

    SALES MANAGER