Before the boom of our digital age, the task of performing complex mathematical calculations with pencil and chalk was done largely by women. Later, as the first electronic computers emerged, it was women who continued to serve as the world’s first programmers.
But today, only seven percent of tech start-ups are led by women and only 20 percent of the technical workforce is women. While some gains have been made (for example, undergraduate female enrolment in the Faculty of Mathematics Computer Sciences Program has almost doubled over the past 10 years), women are still highly underrepresented in computer science. In fact, only one in five computer science undergraduates at the University of Waterloo are women — a shocking stat that’s mirrored at many other universities.
“The gender gap in computer science has many causes, some historical, others more recent,” said Professor and Director of Women in Computer Science Jo Atlee. “The gap starts well before students begin university. It would be wonderful if we had K-12 education in computing, just like we do for English and math, but computer science often isn’t offered, let alone mandatory.”
To combat this problem, Atlee hopes to create a supportive environment through Technovation Waterloo, a 12-week online and in-class program that gives teams of girls from Grades 5 to 12 an opportunity to learn and experience theoretical and practical computing skills. The final challenge will see teams of five develop a mobile app that addresses an issue affecting society with an emphasis on Waterloo’s local community.
The themes are UN-focused, with areas like health, education, peace, poverty, equality and the environment being addressed. In May, Google Waterloo will host a pitching competition, with the winning team taking home a monetary prize and bragging rights as it moves on to the global competition. The hope is to encourage girls to pursue coding, build businesses and finesse their pitching skills.
It’s the sort of opportunity Honours Computer Science and Combinatorics & Optimization undergrad Anna Lorimer wish had existed when she was growing up.
“My high school didn’t have computer science courses at all, but I was very much a math whiz, so I applied to undergrad math programs,” said Lorimer. “I didn’t take computer science until I started university — a theme common among girls. Lots of boys are exposed to computers at a much younger age than girls are. And a lot of young women applying to university simply don’t know that computer science is an option. This limits the number of women entering the field.”
Seeing it first-hand, Lorimer notes that the consequences of a male-dominated discipline extend beyond lost career opportunities for women, with repercussions also limiting ideas and industry insight.
“At a basic level, the more diverse the people you employ, the better the ideas, the better the field, the better the product.”
Technovation Waterloo began on Sunday, January 14, 2018. Sixty mentors, including 17 students from the University of Waterloo and Waterloo alumni, are helping deliver the program, while another 120 students in Waterloo Region have signed up to participate.
Generous sponsorship has been provided for Technovation workshops, t-shirts and smartphones. If you would like to support Technovation Waterloo or other Women in Computer Science events and activities, please contact Kate Dal Castel, Senior Advancement Officer, Faculty of Mathematics.
