Breaking Barriers: Women in Computer Science

The declining presence of women in computer science over the past two decades underscores persistent societal barriers. Contrary to common knowledge, women once held the majority of technology jobs, but they were considered the inferior sex, so their remarkable work went unnoticed. Today, society and the media often push boys and girls into stereotypical roles that give men the advantage to succeed in tech-related jobs.

These obstacles, in addition to many others, prevail in today’s competitive environment and will likely continue into the future.

Given the challenges that women face in the workplace, society must move past the limited portrayal of computer scientists in the media to close the gender gap in technology and show the impact that women can have on the world if they pursue careers in computer science.

The Historical Context

The computer science field has not always possessed the severe gender-biased qualities it does today. In fact, women were integral to computer science since its earliest inceptions. The presence of women in computer science flourished initially because no external forces existed to discourage them from entering fields they felt passionate about.

Approximately two centuries ago, Lady Ada Lovelace held the first technology position when she wrote the first computer program in history. Unfortunately, like many other female coders, her diligent work went unrecognized. Often during this period, women’s names were left out of the story. In the 2016 film, "Hidden Figures," three computer mathematicians at NASA contributed to one of the most impressive operations of all time: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. Many people have not heard their names—Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Dorothy Vaughan—because their male peers took all the credit. It took more than half a century for these brilliant female computer scientists to receive only a portion of the credit they deserved, thanks to the movie's release.

As jobs in computer science became increasingly coveted, companies began crediting one of society’s most advanced fields primarily to men. This unfortunate occurrence did not prevent women from joining the technology world. According to the video “Why So Few?”, in the early half of the 20th century, especially after World War II, many women were encouraged to enter the field as human computers or expert mathematicians. Due to the world’s heightened support, women viewed computer science as a feasible career path and possessed the ability to make significant strides in the technology world.

Modern Challenges and Societal Influences

During this remarkable period, the number of women in computer science continued to increase until 1984, when women earned only 18% of computer science bachelor degrees. A primary reason for this decline was the media's introduction of ads promoting sexism and video games targeted towards young boys. These trends resulted in a tremendous decrease in women pursuing careers in computer science.

These societal structures shaped technology into a field perceived as being for men, creating stereotypes that hindered women from pursuing computer science. Society once supported women’s decisions to seek careers in technology. This positive environment, stemming from societal and media influences, has diminished, and women still struggle to accomplish the goals female computer scientists once achieved. Although the number of female computer scientists is increasing, the barriers preventing gender equality in the field of technology remain difficult to overcome. Since the 1990s, the number of women in technology-related jobs decreased consistently, dropping from 35% to 25%.

Society contributes to numerous factors that create obstacles leading to these significant decreases. For example, toy aisles are intentionally organized based on conventional views that appeal to young girls or boys. Boys’ toys are often designed to develop spatial skills and pique interest in engineering-related topics, while girls’ toys teach young girls to prioritize appearance. As soon as children begin playing with toys, they face immediate exposure to the stereotypical gender segregation that shapes the rest of their lives. Society must offer children the opportunity to break through these barriers and level the playing field in terms of engineering-related jobs. Societal factors that begin in early childhood give boys an immediate advantage over girls, which persists into adulthood.

The children who once played with stereotypical toys eventually reach an age where they can make decisions about their future. High schools perpetuate biases by implementing introductory computer science classes not tailored to girls’ needs. Boys are more likely to take these classes, leading them to feel more confident and superior to girls. My own experience in computer science reflects this trend. Kathleen Lehman, project manager of the BRAID research team striving to diversify the technology world, states, “Women are socialized to feel that they can’t fail and that they have to achieve perfection.”

Breaking the Cycle: A Call to Action

The process of coding requires an iterative approach, where one must constantly revise their work to generate desired outcomes. In such a competitive environment, women often fail to appreciate the benefits of learning from their mistakes to accomplish their program's goals. This social pressure contributes to the lack of women in technology because it causes them to feel more discouraged than their male peers. Society loses a significant amount of brainpower by minimizing the presence of women in computer science.

Linda Sax, a professor of higher education at UCLA, states, “If girls aren’t involved in building technology, not only are they missing out on some of the fastest-growing and highest-paying jobs, we’re also missing out on the brainpower these women bring to the table.” Computer science has the power to change the world, and women have the potential to demonstrate that they, too, can contribute to world-changing innovations. By not encouraging women to enter jobs in technology, society as a whole is affected and does not advance as quickly as it could.

Creating a welcoming environment in the world of computer science opens doors to the endless possibilities it presents. It also establishes role models crucial to the world’s progress, as intelligent girls in society will join forces with already innovative female computer scientists. Currently, there are few role models for young women considering pursuing computer science. It is crucial that society shifts its beliefs about toys for kids and that schools adjust the curriculum to appeal to more girls and hire encouraging teachers, so that a female computer scientist becomes a reality rather than an improbable circumstance. Society must do all these things so that there are people for women to look up to and say, “If she can do it, I can, too.”

There are those who believe that women do not possess the same qualities as their male peers and cannot compete at the same level. Supporters of men as superior computer scientists argue that this separation is due to personality differences, rendering encouragement for women to pursue computer science unnecessary. David Schmitt, a well-known personality psychologist, looked at a cross-cultural study in 2008 and found that “women report slightly higher levels of ‘neuroticism,’ meaning they have less tolerance for stressful situations, and they tend to be more agreeable and less assertive.” People associate these personality differences with the reason there are fewer women in high-stress jobs like computer science. These characteristic discrepancies are also believed to account for women’s lower wages, inability to negotiate salary, and lack of assertiveness.

While studies do show personality differences between men and women, the guiding factor in these attributions suggests underlying sexist beliefs. People must not overlook the fact that other factors contribute to the underrepresentation of women in computer science. It is not that women are less capable of successfully being part of a team of coders, but rather that people view women in the workplace as inferior. Laura Bassett states, “He ignores the possibility that high levels of sexism and sexual harassment in the tech industry contribute to women’s anxiety and stress levels, rather than a simple biological inclination toward neuroticism.”

Cultural factors spill into the workplace and create barriers for women to succeed in their jobs. If critics begin to view personality differences among the sexes from a more equitable lens, it would promote gender equality in fields currently dominated by men and increase the number of women in computer science. It would initiate the development of tech companies' structures so that both men and women possess the resources they require to succeed. Additionally, it would fulfill computer science companies’ obligation to support women’s leadership.

Ultimately, society establishes gender roles from birth, but it is our job to break through these norms and utilize our computational skills to benefit the whole world. We, as females, must band together and use our powerful brains to our fullest potential without letting society dictate what we can and cannot accomplish. It is our responsibility to turn the vision of a world in which the workplace does not discriminate based on gender into a reality. No longer should women first think of a ‘nerdy,’ white male sitting at his computer, coding without taking any breaks. Instead, we should visualize a progressive society where women and men work collaboratively on the next big technological advancement.

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