The Importance of Women in Computer History
Photo Courtesy of Pixabay
Women have been widely recognized as being important in the history of computer programming. Two examples of women technical pioneers are:
- Ada Lovelace (1815 to 1852), who was believed to be the first computer programmer.
- Grace Hopper (1906 to 1992), who was a computer programmer that helped pave the way for the COBOL programming language by developing a compiler, which translated mathematical code into machine-readable code.
Image of Grace Hopper courtesy of Pixabay
Canadian Celebration of Women in Computing
Women continue to celebrate their place in technology. Last year was the fourth annual CAN-CWIC (Canadian Celebration of Women in Computing) conference, which took place in the International Center in Mississauga, Ontario on November 8th and 9th 2019. There were 20+ sessions for 700+ attendees and 40+. Sessions included such topics as social media branding, technologies for people with disabilities, cybersecurity, gaming and others.
Image courtesy of Pixabay
Some Stats on Women in Technology
Some promising stats compiled on women in technology for 2018.
- 29% of all Apple leaders were women.
- The percentage of Facebook’s women in tech had increased to 22%.
- Facebook’s female employees reached 36%.
- Women formed 9% of Google’s employees.
- 5% of Google’s leaders on a global scale were female.
- 5% of Google’s newly hired tech-position employees were women.
Canadian Contribution to the Future of Women in Computing
Image courtesy of Pixabay
To invest in the future of Women in Technology, the Canadian Government has launched a $2 billion Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) to double the number of women-owned businesses in Canada by 2025 by increasing access to finance, networks, and advice. As a part of WES, there is a $20 million Women Entrepreneurship Fund which funds women-led companies. Also, involved in the WES initiative is a $200 million Women in Technology (WIT) venture fund that supports women in building their businesses.
Why are Women in Technology Unsung?
What would you consider to be one of the biggest hurdles of being a woman in technology?
