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Women Make Up Only 25% of People in the Coding Sector, but Here’s Something You Didn’t Know
Several barriers prevent young girls from entering the world of coding or other STEM-related subjects. However, more girls are interested in STEM subjects like science, technology, engineering, and math than before!
According to the UK Parliament Report on Diversity & Inclusion in STEM, at the A level, girls accounted for 44% of all STEM entries and 51% of all science entries in 2022. In fact, there has been a 35% increase in the number of girls taking STEM A-level courses in England since 2010.
Girls now make up half of the science A-level entries, with a significant increase of around 44% in the number of girls taking biology, chemistry, and physics A-level courses between 2010 and 2022. Approximately 31,000 more girls chose STEM subjects in 2022 compared to 2010.
However, despite this incredible progress, women still comprise only 25% of the coding sector. Hidden potential, inspiring stories, and unexplored opportunities for girls lie behind this disparity.
As parents, you play a pivotal role in shaping your child’s future, and we firmly believe that nurturing their interests and talents in coding can open doors to limitless opportunities.
Through the Girls Meet Code Programme, we aim to empower young women in coding with knowledge, tools, and support for an inclusive and diverse landscape.
Are you intrigued? Ready to challenge the status quo and participate in this transformative movement? Get started on the journey to help your teen realise their full potential with the FREE #GirlsMeetCode Programme! Find out more here!
Girls’ Stellar Achievements Outperform Boys in Physics and Computer Science!
The number of women arriving to study computer science in a year has been incredible. The year’s intake has doubled compared to the national average of 16%.
Over the past few decades, we have witnessed a substantial increase in women pursuing careers in this field. Various factors have attributed to this shift, including improved equality initiatives, tech companies emphasising diversity and inclusion more, and increasing awareness of coding opportunities.
However, there is still a lot of progress toward achieving equality goals in the technology sector. Girls still represent a relatively small percentage of participants in mathematics (37%), physics (23%), and computing (15%).
Moreover, these disparities are not reflected in academic achievement.
Research conducted by FFT Education Datalab in January 2023 revealed that the variance in average grades between female and male students was most pronounced in physics and computer science, with girls actually outperforming boys!
What Does This Mean for Your Teen?
The data highlights the importance of removing perceived barriers for girls because they have so much potential to be successful coders! Parents, educators, and tech companies must work together to create supportive learning environments and provide mentorship opportunities for aspiring female coders.
How Do You Achieve This?
A Supportive Environment: Encourages comfort about various career options, including coding. It also ensures that your child feels supported regardless of their chosen path. Role Models – Exposure to successful female coders through books, documentaries, or workshops can inspire and motivate them.
Encourage Hands-On Learning: Engage your child in coding-related activities, online tutorials, and coding clubs to develop their skills and passion for technology. Nurturing an interest in coding is not just about steering our children toward lucrative careers; it goes beyond that. It fosters creativity, critical thinking, and resilience—the traits that will serve them well throughout their lives. It encourages them to think outside the box and to see the world as an interconnected system of limitless possibilities.
A Few Interesting Facts You May Not Know
As parents, you can play a crucial role in empowering your daughters to break free from stereotypes and pursue their passions. Research has shown that a young person’s attitude towards science at school and their parents’ attitudes towards science strongly influence their aspirations in science.
Similarly, when it comes to physics, parents’ enjoyment of the subject, perception of their child’s academic abilities, and belief in the subject’s career prospects are key factors in determining whether their child will pursue physics post-16.
Moreover, parents’ expectations and attitudes towards their child’s future occupation have long-lasting effects. Studies have demonstrated that parents’ expectations at age 15 are linked to their children’s aspirations at age 17. Additionally, it was found that their job expectations at age 17 are associated with their child’s job at age 28.
Additionally, it was found that the parents of girls were less likely to discuss careers in computer science with their daughters than parents of boys.
The Importance of Female Role Models in Coding
As a parent, it is crucial to understand the significance of female role models in the world of coding and technology for our youth. Introducing girls to inspiring female figures in coding can profoundly impact their aspirations and career choices.
Representation matters. Therefore, successful women in coding positions break gender stereotypes and empower young girls to pursue their passions. Female role models reinforce that anyone can excel in coding regardless of gender. We can encourage children to code with these dynamic role models for a more equitable and innovative future.
Inspiring Success Stories
Despite the challenges, numerous women have shattered stereotypes and contributed significantly to the coding sector. Highlighting these success stories can serve as a powerful motivation for young girls.
Emily Anderson was born in the UK and is one of twelve women from the WAAC recruited as codebreakers in 1917 – she stayed on after the war in GCCS as its sole female codebreaker. People have described her as ‘among the best cryptanalysts in the world’.
Samaira Mehta is a lot like other kids her age. However, at the same time, one thing also makes this 10-year-old standout. Mehta is the CEO, founder and inventor of CoderBunnyz, a board game that teaches players as young as 4 basic coding concepts.
Mehta created the board game at age 6½ or 7. She says she found inspiration after her engineer father started teaching her coding. Through her research, Mehta found a gap in the market: a product to assist beginner coders in learning programming.
These inspiring role models share one thing: coding helped open many doors to great opportunities. Therefore, coding is a great way to help young women have successful careers.
Importance of Coding in the modern world
Coding professionals are no longer limited to working purely in computer science. In today’s technology-driven world, it is at the heart of numerous industries, from healthcare and finance to entertainment and manufacturing.
Additionally, by learning to code, your teen will gain the ability to think critically, solve problems, and develop computational thinking skills. These skills empower tech careers, fostering versatility and adaptability in an ever-changing job market. Moreover, as automation becomes more prevalent, coding knowledge will be essential, ensuring their employability in the future.
Addressing Societal Challenges: Coding skills can empower girls to address pressing societal challenges and positively impact the world. Many female coders have led in developing tech solutions for sustainability, healthcare, and education in marginalised communities. Girls with coding skills can become influential change-makers for a sustainable, inclusive, and progressive society.
Promoting Gender Diversity in Tech: Increasing the number of female coders is not only about achieving gender equality but also about enhancing the tech industry’s creativity and innovation. Studies have shown that diverse teams bring more inclusive perspectives, resulting in better problem-solving and innovative solutions. Therefore, when women join tech through coding programs, they bring unique insights, driving inclusive product development. This gender diversity in tech can lead to a more balanced and equitable technology landscape.
Are you looking to empower your teen for a successful future in coding? Join the FREE #GirlsMeetCode Programme!
The program helps girls between 12 and 16 learn about technology and coding. We will explore various digital subjects related to creative coding. At the workshops, girls will collaborate and brainstorm ways to use technology to solve everyday issues. They will discover the enjoyable aspects of coding when they employ it to bring ideas to fruition.
This program aims to empower girls to pursue tech careers by boosting self-assurance and confidence in any field. It aims to improve leadership, communication, and soft skills, with guidance and support from role models and mentors.
Pave the way for your child’s bright and promising future with Girls Meet Code! Find out more here!
GT Scholars is an award-winning education company and social enterprise. We run high-impact tutoring, mentoring & enrichment programmes for young people aged 11-18. If you’d like to give your child the support, skills and strategies needed to achieve their academic and career aspirations, you're in the right place!
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