A common stereotype about young girls in our society is that they mainly consider careers in the arts for their lives in the future; basically, many people don’t relate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) careers to young girls. The reality is, 74% of girls express an interest in STEM careers at a young age, yet something is happening in our society that is causing this percentage to decrease.
Many tech experts are asking themselves, ‘what do we need to do to increase women’s participation in technological fields?’. The lack of diversity in these careers is no doubt an issue, but not having enough women in the science and technology fields has proven to be a serious domestic issue. Women are becoming the breadwinners in more and more families across the nation, demonstrating that this should be a national concern.
Girls Who Code, a non-profit organization dedicated to closing the gender gap in science and technology careers, focuses on creating the largest pipeline of future female engineers in the country. The organization provides membership into clubs across the nation, and opportunities for summer programs geared towards learning the art of coding.
Tech agencies have also started to recruit more women into leadership roles within these companies.
What organizations like Girls Who Code and numerous others are doing is not just an inspiration for females, but for men as well. They serve as beacons of hope for young girls and boys, by telling these kids that there is a place for you in the STEM world.