Communications of the ACM
Technology's Gender Barrier
Entrepreneur Sarah Parmenter is a sought-after voice at tech conferences but says she is one of only a few women in attendance.
Credit: Hugo Fernandes / The Financial Times
Women account for just six percent of the chief executives of the top 100 U.S. technology companies and just 22 percent of the IT workforce overall, according to the National Center for Women & Information Technology. However, several initiatives have been launched to help women to succeed in the industry. For example, Women Innovate Mobile is an "accelerator" that provides guidance, feedback, and connections for female-founded mobile technology companies. "The key is the mentoring and the access to networks: that's what changes everything — connections to people who can change your life and change your startup," says Women Innovate Mobile managing director Kelly Hoey.
But mentoring existing female technology professionals is not enough. In the United States, just 18 percent of undergraduate computing degrees in 2009 were awarded to women, down from 37 percent in 1985. Young women could be attracted to computer science by thinking about what technology enables instead of the technical skills alone, says Moonfruit CEO Wendy Tan White.
Technovision, part of a nonprofit organization that encourages technology learning called Iridescent, is working to show women that technology can change lives by teaching high-school girls how to create mobile apps and launch startups.
From The Financial Times
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