The Gender Gap in Digital Space

By Helena Calle

Currently women working in technology face major struggles such as gender discrimination and sexual harassment. Hopefully the latest inclusion of programming and coding in the school curricula might contribute positively to motivating young girls to pursue a career in technology. While many industries are declining and decreasing in job opportunities offered, technology is one of the industries that is increasing the offering of job opportunities. If more women start choosing technology as viable career path, both women and society in general could benefit.

First the increase of women in technology, where the majority of jobs pay well, could contribute to the reduction of the wage gap. Throughout history women have had important contributions to coding and programming but their role became underrepresented since 1995 where media and publicity started depicting stereotypes of women as sexual objects and men as nerd scientists. Fortunately, these stereotypes are falling and governments are trying to promote a more realistic portrait of reality. We hope that in the following years media depicts women as the intelligent and strong people they can be.

Also, women´s contribution to technology is important to the development of a wider variety of creative technological solutions accurate for women and men´s lifestyle. For example, health apps that accurately include the latest menstruation logarithms to help keep track of their cycle. If women do not start gaining representation in the field of technology the consequences for the technological era that is coming might be terrifying. Imaging human implantation that only works properly for men, and ignores women physiology?

If this happens, the latest technological innovations might enhance men while putting women in a situation of disadvantage. Therefore, it is crucial to promote and encourage the representation of women in technology. This is the moment in history where we need to pay attention to the huge society demands and start closing the gender gaps.

Helena Calle is a researcher at Fast Future. She is a recent graduate from the MSc. program in Educational Neuroscience at Birkbeck, University of London, and has eight years of international experience as a teacher, teacher trainer, pedagogic coordinator, and education consultant. Helena coordinates Fast Futures’ growing research on the future of learning.

Share content with FFD