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Gender disparity in computing has become a global concern due to the emergence of the Information Age. Main concerns arose due to the growing gender disparity in the field of computing. The field of computing increasingly has developed a gender gap. This gender gap has made the field become more male dominant. With the decline in women pursuing education within the field of computer science and women working in field, lack of diversity in field emerged. Concerns of improving perspective in the field, creating more diversity, and attempting to close the gender gap motivated public policy debates addressing gender equality due to the growing importance of computing and technology in society. This dialogue helped to expand information technology innovations and to reduce the consequences of sexism. Growing concerns about the disparity in computing has allowed for the rise of organizations creating their own initiatives to bring women into the field of computer science.

Gender disparity in computing has become a global concern due to the emergence of the Information Age. However, many problems have occurred due to the growing gender disparity in the computing field. This field has increasingly developed a gender gap, making it more male dominant. In response to a decline in women pursuing education within this field, a lack of diversity has emerged. The need for more diversity and an equal gender gap led to public policy debates regarding gender equality. This occurred due to the growing importance of computing and technology in the world today. This dialogue helped to expand information on technology innovations and reduce the consequences of sexism. It also allowed organizations to create their own initiatives and bring women into the computer science field.

Although some young girls display an early interest in coding and computer-related fields, they are forced out between the ages of 13 and 17. This problem occurs from peer pressure, a lack of role models, and a general misunderstanding of what STEM professions entail in the real world.

Two women working in the technology field

A group of girls working on computers at school

Nerd Girls was launched in 2000 by Karen Panetta, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Tufts University.

The organization was founded by Reshma Saujani in 2012 in New York City with around 20 girls. As of August 2017, the organization is now in all 50 states with a membership of 40,000 girls.

Groups such as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe propose policies that support gender equality in the work field.

In the early days of computers and computing, women were well-represented in the field.[1] Women often worked as "human computers," making complicated calculations and working in large groups, such as the Harvard Computers.[2] Women also worked on ballistics calculations and cryptography.[3][4] In 1946, the University of Pennsylvania's Moore School of Electrical engineering and the United States Army Ballistics Research Laboratory began to research the trajectories of projectiles. 200 women had been involved in this research.[5] Human computers who were women could be paid less than their male counterparts.[6] By 1943, the majority of human computers were women.[7] Due to the lack of labor resources during the Second World War, women were actively recruited into computer jobs that would have traditionally gone to men.[8] Finding jobs in the computer science field allowed women to find higher opportunities in the workforce. Early programmers on machines such as ENIAC, were mostly women.[1] The reason that women were involved as programmers and human computers was because "they expected programming to be a low skill clerical function," and that the difficult work was the creation of the hardware, which male engineers largely worked on.[1] The programmers of the ENIAC, six women who designed the public demonstrations and prepared the machine for its public debut were not fully recognized for their contributions by the media.[9]

In the early days of computing, women were well-represented in the field.[1] They often worked as "human computers," making complicated calculations and working in large groups, such as the Harvard Computers.[2] They also worked on ballistic calculations and cryptography.[3][4] In 1946, the University of Pennsylvania's Moore School of Electrical engineering and the United States Army Ballistics Research Laboratory began to research the trajectories of projectiles. However, there were only two hundred women involved in this research.[5] Additionally, due to the lack of labor resources during the Second World War, women were actively recruited into computing jobs.[8] This opened up more opportunities for them to find employment in the computer science field. The early programmers on machines such as ENIAC were mostly women.[1] These women were involved as programmers and human computers because "they expected programming to be a low skill clerical function."[1] However, the ENIAC programmers, six women who designed the public demonstrations and prepared the machine for its public debut, were not fully recognized for their contributions by the media.[9]

Computer science was the fastest growing college major and popular STEM discipline among women from the 1970s until the 1980s. According to the National Science Foundation's data of women receiving a Bachelor of Science degree spanning four decades (1966-2006), computer science is the only STEM discipline facing a downward slope after its highest peak in 1984 with 37% of women receiving their degrees in computer science. Similar patterns exist in the computing workforce as well with a peak of 38% in 1987.

Computer science was the fastest-growing college major and STEM discipline amongst women from the 1970s until the 1980s. According to the National Science Foundation's report on women receiving a Bachelor of Science degree, computer science is the only STEM discipline facing a downward slope after its peak in 1984. This report shows that only 37% of women received their degree in computer science. Additionally, a similar pattern exists in the computing field, with a peak of 38% in 1987.

By the 1960s, while computer programming was still touted as a good field for women to go into, major shifts were beginning to take place that would help push women out of the field. Men who were programming started to make the field more "prestigious," creating professional associations, education requirements for work and by actively discouraging hiring women in the field. Hiring tools were introduced in which answers were shared among all-male groups and clubs. Another way to push women out of the field was to use personality tests that favored people who were not interested in working with others, which was slanted towards a certain type of male applicant. According to Janet Abbate, the work that the ENIAC women did during World War II was considered menial because of preconceived gender notions. Women were not allowed to work in developing hardware and so, over time, it became associated as a man's job. Software development was new and women worked that job because they had prior experience as 'human computers'. After these trends were entrenched in the industry, it has continued to perpetuate itself into the modern day. Some computer science programs, such as Princeton, in the mid-1960s wouldn't even admit women into their program.

By the 1960s, while computer programming was still touted as a promising field for women, major shifts were beginning to take place that would push women out of the field. Male programmers started to make the field more "prestigious" by creating professional associations and educational requirements for work. They also used personality tests that favored people who were not interested in working with others. These personality tests were slanted towards a specific group of male applicants. According to Janet Abbate, the work that the ENIAC women did during World War II was considered menial because of preconceived gender notions. These women were not allowed to develop hardware, so it became associated as a man's job. Additionally, software development was new, and women chose to work in this field because they had prior experience as 'human computers.' After these trends were entrenched in the industry, they continued to perpetuate themselves into the everyday world. However, many computer science programs, including Princeton, wouldn't admit women into their program.

A survey, conducted by SWIFT ("Supporting Women in Information Technology") based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, asked 7,411 participants questions about their career choices. The survey found that females compared to males have lower levels of interest and perceived ability in computer science. This study (as well as others) provides a strong base for a positive correlation between both level of interest and perceived ability with career choice. From 1971 to 2011, survey data was collected to document trends from majors in computer science, discover individualities of both males and females who selected computer science as their majors, and identify the cause of gender gaps. A key timeline between the 1990s to 2011 revealed a significantly low representation of women. In general, women who pursue a Computer Science degree actually feel less confident then male when using a computer. The study shows that non-majors male students have more confidence than females when computing.

A survey conducted by SWIFT, Supporting Women in Information Technology, based in Vancouver, Canada, asked 7,411 participants questions about their career choices. The survey found that females are less interested in computer science than males. From 1971 to 2011, data was collected to document trends from majors in computer science, discover individualities of both males and females who selected computer science as their majors, and identify the cause of gender gaps. A key timeline between the 1990s to 2011 revealed a significantly low representation of women. In general, women who pursued a computer science degree felt less confident than males when using a computer. This study shows that male students have more confidence than females in the computing field.

A project based in Edinburgh, Scotland, "Strategies of Inclusion: Gender and the Information Society" (SIGIS) released its findings based on research conducted in 48 separate case studies all over Europe. The findings focus on recruiting as well as retention techniques for women already studying in the field. These techniques range from the introduction of role models, advertisement campaigns, and the allocation of quotas, in order to make the computing field appear more gender neutral. Educating reforms, which will increase the quality of the educating body and technological facilities, are also suggested.

The Project "Strategies of Inclusion: Gender and the Information Society" released its findings based on research conducted in 48 separate case studies all over Europe. The results focus on recruiting as well as retention techniques for women already in the field. These techniques range from the introduction of role models, advertisement campaigns, and the allocation of quotas. The purpose of these techniques are to make the computing field more gender-neutral.

Research suggests that Malaysia has a much more equal split that varies around the half-way mark. A job in the computing industry also implies a safe work environment. Strong belief by the previous generation that IT would be a flourishing sector with many job opportunities caused parents to encourage their children to take a computing career, no matter the gender.

Research suggests that Malaysia has an equal split that varies around the halfway mark. A job in the computing industry also implies a safe work environment. There was a strong belief by the previous generation that IT would be a flourishing sector with many job opportunities. This caused parents to encourage their children to major in computing, no matter their gender.

In India, a growing number of women are studying and taking careers in technical fields. The percentage of women engineers graduating from IIT Bombay grew from 1.8% in 1972 to 8% in 2005. Arab women made up 59% of students enrolled in computer science in 2014 at government universities located in Saudi Arabia. Women in Eastern Europe, especially in Bulgaria and Romania, have high rates of pursuing coding and technology. However, women remain underrepresented in information technology fields.

In India, a growing number of women are studying and taking careers in technology fields. The percentage of women engineers graduating from IIT Bombay grew from 1.8% in 1972 to 8% in 2005. Additionally, in 2014, Arab women made up 59% of all the students enrolled in computer science at government universities located in Saudi Arabia. The women in Eastern Europe, especially in Bulgaria and Romania, have high coding and technology rates. However, women remain underrepresented in technology fields all around the world.

Based on recent as well as ongoing research involving the gender gap in computer science, a significant contribution is families, mainly parents. Other contributions come from friends, as well as classmates. They encourage women to both choose and continue in their studies in computer science. Some women who choose to study in the discipline experience a lack of provision during their schooling. They have very few peers to call for help. The lack of support can weaken women's pledge to the field. When circumstances in the department are negative, those with frail assurance leave at a higher rate than ones who have adequate support to overcome it. Faculty can discourage women with unintentional comments or with expectations based on assumptions that men's conduct, and knowledge are the basis of thriving in computer science (Cohoon, 2002).

Based on recent research involving the gender gap in computer science, a significant contribution comes from families. Additionally, other contributions come from friends and classmates. These contributions encourage women to continue their studies in computer science. However, a lack of support can weaken a women's pledge to the field. For example, when circumstances in the department are adverse, those with frail assurance leave at a higher rate than those with adequate support. This happens because faculty can discourage women with unintentional comments or the expectation that a man's knowledge is the basis of success in computer science (Cohoon, 2002).

In the United States, the proportion of women represented in undergraduate computer science education and the white-collar information technology workforce peaked in the mid-1980s, and has declined ever since. In 1984, 37.1% of Computer Science degrees were awarded to women; the percentage dropped to 29.9% in 1989–1990, and 26.7% in 1997–1998. Figures from the Computing Research Association Taulbee Survey indicate that fewer than 12% of Computer Science bachelor's degrees were awarded to women at U.S. PhD-granting institutions in 2010–11.When looking at the percentage of women earning master's degrees, it peaked around 2000 at 33% and dropped to 27% in 2008. Computer science holds one of the lowest proportion of women holding a doctorate's degree in the field.

In the United States, the proportion of women represented in the computer science field peaked around the mid-1980s and has declined ever since. In 1984, 37.1% of Computer Science degrees were awarded to women. However, this percentage dropped to 29.9% in 1990 and 26.7% in 1998. Data from the Computing Research Association indicates that fewer than 12% of computer science bachelor's degrees were awarded to women at U.S. PhD-granting institutions in 2011. Additionally, the percentage of women earning a master's degree peaked around 33% in 2000 but dropped to 27% in 2008.

Within the United States, the representation of women in the computing field has declined over the past thirty years. Currently, women only make up 18% of graduates with a degree in computer science. In a study based in the United States, "Anatomy of an Enduring Gender Gap: The Evolution of Women's Participation in Computer Science", researchers found an overall decline in women's intent to major in the computer science field. They found that by 2011 only 0.4% of women planned to major in computer science compared to 3.3.% of men. The study also found, as of 2011, only 15% of women were computer science majors.

Within the United States, the representation of women in the computing field has declined over the past thirty years. Currently, women make up 18% of all graduates with a computer science degree. In the study, "Anatomy of an Enduring Gender Gap: The Evolution of Women's Participation in Computer Science," researchers found an overall decline in women's determination to major in the computer science field. They found that by 2011 only 0.4% of women planned to major in computer science compared to 3.3% of men. The study also found that only 15% of women were computer science majors.

Although teenage girls are now using computers and the Internet at rates similar to their male peers, they are five times less likely to consider a technology-related career or plan on taking post-secondary technology classes. The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) reports that of the SAT takers who intend to major in computer and information sciences, the proportion of girls has steadily decreased relative to the proportion of boys, from 20 percent in 2001 to 12 percent in 2006. While this number has been decreasing, in 2001, the total number of these students (both boys and girls) reached its peak at 73,466.

Although teenage girls are using computers and the internet at rates similar to their male peers, they are five times less likely to consider a technology-related career or take post-secondary technology classes. The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) reports that of the SAT takers who intend to major in computer science, the proportion of girls has steadily decreased from 20 percent in 2001 to 12 percent in 2006.

According to a College Board report, in 2006 there were slightly more girls than boys amongst SAT takers that reported to having "course work or experience" in computer literacy, word processing, internet activity, and creating spreadsheets/databases. It was also determined that more boys than girls (59% vs 41%) reported course work or experience with computer programming, although this may likely be caused by false reporting. Of the 146,437 students (13%) who reported having no course work or experience, 61% were girls and 39% were boys.

According to a College Board report in 2006, there were slightly more girls than boys who reported having "course work or experience" in computer literacy, word processing, internet activity, and creating spreadsheets. It was also determined that more boys than girls, 59% vs. 41%, reported course work or experience with computer programming, although this may be caused by false reporting. Of the 146,437 students who reported having no course work or experience, 61% were girls, and 39% were boys.

More boys than girls take Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science exams. According to the College Board in 2006, 2,594 girls and 12,068 boys took the AP Computer Science A exam, while 517 girls and 4,422 boys took the more advanced AP Computer Science AB exam. From 1996 to 2004, girls made up 16–17% of those taking the AP Computer Science A exam and around 10% of those taking AP Computer Science AB exam.

It's a proven fact that more boys than girls take the Advanced Placement computer science exams. According to the College Board, in 2006, 2,594 girls and 12,068 boys took the AP Computer Science A exam, while 517 girls and 4,422 boys took the more advanced AP Computer Science AB exam. From 1996 to 2004, girls made up 17% of those taking the AP Computer Science A exam and around 10% of those taking the AP Computer Science AB exam.

In England females made up 20% of GCSE and 10% of Alevel computer science cohorts in 2019. Females outperformed males at GCSE computer science, but when controlling for their achievement in other subjects, i.e. attempting to compare males and females of similar grade profiles, males achieved significantly higher grades in computer science. Across all UK universities, females achieved significantly fewer first class degrees than males, a pattern not seen in other degree areas.

In England, females made up 20% of GCSE and 10% of A-level computer science cohorts in 2019. Additionally, they outperformed males in GCSE computer science, but males achieved significantly higher grades. Across all UK universities, females earned significantly fewer first-class degrees than males, a pattern not seen in other degree areas.

Women's representation in the computing and information technology workforce has been falling from a peak of 38% in the mid-1980s. From 1993 through 1999, NSF's SESTAT reported that the percentage of women working as computer/information scientists (including those who hold a bachelor's degree or higher in an S&E field or have a bachelor's degree or higher and are working in an S&E field) declined slightly from 33.1% to 29.6% percent while the absolute numbers increased from 170,500 to 185,000. Numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Catalyst in 2006 indicated that women make up 27-29% of the computing workforce. A National Public Radio report in 2013 stated that about 20% of all U.S. computer programmers are female. In open source fields, only 10% of programmers are women.

Women's representation in the computing field has fallen from its peak of 38% in the mid-1980s. From 1993 to 1999, NSF's SESTAT reported that the percentage of women working as computer scientists declined slightly from 33.1% to 29.6%, while the absolute numbers increased from 170,500 to 185,000. Additionally, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Catalyst in 2006 indicated that women make up 29% of the computer science field.

A gender-diverse team is more likely to create products that meet people's requirements.^{[citation needed]} When women are underrepresented, many technical decisions are based on men's experiences, opinions, and judgement, resulting in a male-slanted bias. In addition, a review of research on gender-diverse teams reveals that gender-diverse teams are more productive, more creative, and more able to stay on schedule and within budget, compared to homogenous teams, while other research review suggests that the results are mixed, with many studies showing no result, non-linear results or even negative results of gender diversity on team performances. Research conducted by McKinsey & Company showed that companies with women in top management were more financially successful, in contrast, analysis of sample major US companies showed no effect of inclusion of women (or minority members) on financial performance; these varied results give no conclusive evidence of the purely financial benefits of diversity.

A gender-diverse team is more likely to create products that meet people's requirements.^{[citation needed]} When women are underrepresented, many technical decisions are made based on a man's experiences, opinions, and judgment, resulting in a male-slanted bias. In addition, a review of research on gender-diverse teams reveals that gender-diverse groups are more productive, more creative, and more capable of staying on track than homogenous teams. However, another research review suggests that the results are mixed, with many studies showing no result, non-linear results, or even negative results of gender diversity.

The book Gender and Computers: Understanding the Digital Divide states that the lack of participation of females in computing excludes them from the "new economy", which calls for sophisticated computer skills in exchange for high salary positions.

The book Gender and Computers: Understanding the Digital Divide states that the lack of participation of females in computing excludes them from the "new economy," which calls for sophisticated computer skills in exchange for high salary positions.

In an article titled, "Diversity in Computing: Why It Matters and How Organizations Can Achieve It, Wendy M. DuBow looks into the benefits of gender diversity in the field of computer programming. In the article, DuBow found there to be missed potential when a workforce is not diverse. DuBow also found having a diverse team, in culture, gender and race, allowed for more creativity, innovation, and productivity.

In an article titled "Diversity in Computing: Why It Matters and How Organizations Can Achieve It," Wendy DuBow looked into the benefits of gender diversity in computing. In the article, DuBow found that there is missed potential when a workforce is not diverse. She also found that having a diverse team in culture, gender, and race allows for more creativity, innovation, and productivity.

"Innovative Potential: Men and Women in Teams", a study produced by The Lehman Brothers Centre for Women in Business and the London Business School, found that teams with equal gender membership, from 21 different companies, were more efficient in their goals and more experimental.

The study "Innovative Potential: Men and Women in Teams," produced by The Lehman Brothers Centre for Women in Business and the London Business School, found that teams with equal gender membership were more efficient in their goals.

The main argument made by Janet Abbate in this book was that women are discriminated against in the technology field and are not given the same opportunities as men. This is a problem in the world today because everyone should be treated equally and not judged based on their gender. It is unfair for someone to be overlooked and not given the same opportunities to showcase their skills. A method used by Janet Abbate throughout this book was archival research. She used data from the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Commerce from the end of the twentieth century (Abbate, 2012, p. 3). It makes sense that she would use this method because she was researching information from the late 1900s.

Gender disparity in the twenty-first century

Gender disparity has played a major role in several people’s lives over the years. Throughout the twentieth century, there was a significant gap between men and women in the computer science field. This happened because men were viewed as the more technology-savvy gender. However, this started to change during the twenty-first century as women became more familiar with computers. These women began to join technology-related careers and take post-secondary technology classes. They wanted to prove to themselves and everyone in the computing field that they could complete the same tasks as men. Despite computer science having one of the largest gender disparities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, there's a bright future ahead. It's a step in the right direction that women are getting more opportunities to showcase their talents. They are finally starting to stick up for themselves and get the respect that they deserve.

Sources

Abbate, J. (2012). Recoding Gender: Women's Changing Participation in Computing. MIT Press.

Curran, J., Fenton, N., & Freedman, D. (2012). Misunderstanding the Internet. Routledge.

Master, A., Cheryan, S., & Meltzoff, A. N. (2016). Computing Whether She Belongs: Stereotypes Undermine Girls’ Interest and Sense of Belonging in Computer Science. Journal of Educational Psychology.

Panteli, N., Stack, J., & Ramsey, H. (2001). Gendered Patterns in Computing Work in the late 1990s. New Technology, Work and Employment.

Favron, C (2017, March 13). Gender disparities in engineering and computing science at SFU and its effects on female students. University Wire.

Mediaplanet and Bumble Co-Founder Alex Williamson Team Up to Raise Awareness of the Gender Disparity in Tech, and Why the Industry Needs Women: Mediaplanet's "Women in Computing" campaign, found in the San Francisco Chronicle and online, explains the importance of bringing more women into tech and related science, education and math fields. (2019, March 27). PR Newswire.

Pace University's School of Computer Science and Information Systems partners with GE Capital to create new initiative to empower young women to pursue STEMC education and professions: 'Women in Technology @ Pace' works to overcome longstanding gender disparities in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Computing. (2015, October 1). PR Newswire.