Being at a school that literally has the word “Technology” in its name is not for the weak. Even as a Business & Technology major, I find myself having technical elements to my business courses. I’m not complaining though, I quite enjoy the challenge that comes with learning hard things. Something that does puzzle me is the stark difference between women entering STEM-related fields compared to their male counterparts. I obviously can’t speak for everyone, but it appears that there are barriers to entry which should be addressed.
I work in tech, and so for me I find it both fascinating and ironic that the pioneer of modern computer science is a woman. Ada Lovelace was born in 1815 to Lord and Lady Byron. Against the norm of the time, Lovelace was highly encouraged by her mother to study mathematics. This later became the foundation for her interest in the fields of math and machines. In the 1830s, she became acquainted with Charles Babbage who was working on the concept for an Analytical Engine. When translating his paper on the concept from Italian to English, she added her own notes which ended up being significantly longer than the original paper. She envisioned that the machine could be so much more than a calculator and cited that it could also create music if notes were associated with numerical values. Lovelace later wrote what is now considered the first computer programming algorithm. While the idea was initially Babbage’s, she expanded upon it greatly. She set the foundation for what computers could have the potential to do long before that technology existed. While her contributions to the field of computing were long overlooked, many early programming languages, such as Ada created by the Department of Defense, are named in her honor.
While we have come a long way since then, both from a technological and societal perspective, there unfortunately still remains a gender gap. One of the main reasons for this is the subtle messaging that gets passed down and then reinforced for girls and women. For example, take a look at the toys that are marketed towards girls versus boys: dolls for girls and cars for boys and kitchen sets for girls and legos for boys. From a young age, several gender stereotypes are enforced which may subconsciously condition girls away from STEM-related areas. This is later reinforced in real world settings where people make assumptions about women having a secondary or less important role: female doctors getting mistaken for nurses or female leaders not being taken seriously.
The impacts this can have on women and girls learning or entering a technical field is massive. Women may feel imposter syndrome, lacking confidence in what they are pursuing. Additionally, this creates a shortage of mentorship and leadership; women don’t see other women in higher positions from whom they can learn and get guidance. This ultimately creates a detrimental cycle in which women are not supported entering certain roles and fields, resulting in a lack of advancement. Even though a lot of progress has been made, a lot more is left. A simple step in the right direction would be to empower women who are entering these difficult and technical career paths, giving them support, and continuing to challenge baseless assumptions. After all, who knows, the next Ada Lovelace may be sitting right next to you in class today.
