Why become a Woman in Tech?

The tech field is becoming a more diverse field in which to work. However, STEM roles have been more male-dominated than other industries for many years. With the slow increase in the number of women working in the tech industry in recent years, we look at what it’s like working as a tech woman and highlight some groundbreakers from throughout history.

Being a Woman in Tech – some numbers

According to Deloitte, the number of women working within the tech industry is gaining ground. They reckon that “large global technology firms, on average, will reach nearly 33% overall female representation in their workforces in 2022”. However, there appears to be a lot more work to do, especially for smaller firms. According to DataProt, only 24% of computing jobs are held by women across the USA (for example), and women leave the tech industry at a 45% higher rate than men. 

Why become a woman in tech?

One of the most popular employment prospects for ambitious women is the technology industry. Even though few women are in the workforce, times are changing, and more female programmers are entering the field.

So, let’s look at some of the advantages offered to a woman in tech.

4 Key Advantages of Being a Woman in Tech 

• Firms Are Seeking More Women

Companies are looking forward to hiring more women. For diversity and to build better products and software, it’s essential to have input from a diverse team.

• Women Have Different Perspectives Than Men

Women have different perspectives. So when creating new software or applications, your perspectives are welcomed and respected by your peers. 

• You Can Become a Role Model

Like we said earlier, women are underrepresented in tech. However, if you summon the courage to pursue your goals, you will one day be regarded as a role model by future generations.

• Companies Are Looking for More Talent

The tech industry is always in demand of skilled professionals. So, if you devote enough time to studying new tech concepts and languages, you will almost certainly be hired by a reputable company.

Women Who Code

When it comes to coding, gender has no bearing on one’s level of proficiency.

It does not matter whether you are a woman or a man; you are skilled at coding only after learning and practising different coding problems. 

In fact, did you know that some programming languages were developed by women? 

So, if someone tells you that women are not suited for coding, slap the facts on their face.

With that in mind, here are some female programmers who were not only among the first in their fields but also had a profound impact on the world.

Ada Lovelace 

When Charles Babbage, the father of the computer, discovered the first computing analytical engine, most assumed that the machine could only make calculations alone. 

The first programmer, Ada Lovelace, changed this misconception. Ada Lovelace, the daughter of the famous poet Lord Byron, was the first to see the analytical engine’s potential and laid the way for all modern technologies we use today.

Kathleen Booth

Kathleen Booth is the creator of assembly language, a low-level language used to perform tasks on assemblers. 

She and her husband introduced many valuable computer programming methods, and she is still regarded as a role model by many technophiles.

Kathleen Booth also highlighted artificial intelligence, predicting that modern technology will incorporate AI into practically every work.

Margaret Hamilton

Margaret Hamilton is one of the famous names in the tech industry and is a role model for every programmer.

What is Margaret Hamilton especially famous for?

As chief of the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory’s Software Engineering Division, Margaret Hamilton created the guidance and navigation system for the Apollo spacecraft – an incredible feat in her times.

She was also the first person to coin the words software engineering.

Grace Hopper

Grace Hopper invented COBOL, a high-level programming language and the first compiler, which converts computer programming languages into machine code that the computer can understand.

Hopper also worked on UNIVAC, the world’s first all-electronic digital computer.

Hedy Lamarr

Hedy Lamarr, one of the iconic Hollywood stars, has made it to the list of famous programmers. Why, though?

Hedy Lamarr was not only a remarkable actress but also a brilliant coder. Her timely contributions that helped the Allies win the Second World War are one of her finest achievements.

You’ll probably be even more astonished to find that Hedy Lamarr was the one who invented a convenient communication system that the world can’t live without today.

That’s right, the intelligence of Hedy Lamarr became the foundation for WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth.

Start learning

The women we have seen as examples never considered their gender to be a hindrance in accomplishing their dreams. So why should you? Start learning your preferred programming languages, take courses, practice the codes and face your fears to achieve your dream. Become a woman in tech. A great place to start is with Code Institute’s free 5 Day Coding Challenge. If you’re new to coding, this will teach you the basics of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Then, after just one hour a day over five days, you will build your first ever webpage. This could be your first step to a wonderful new career. Register now through the form below.