Schools in Cheltenham are trying to encourage more girls to take an interest in computer science. Only 21% of people taking the subject at a GCSE level are women, according to the Joint Council for Qualifications. Not only is that a surprising gender gap, but the gap has been widening consistently over the past decade, with the percentage of women taking Computer Science at the same level a decade ago was 42%.
Cynam, a Cheltenham based organisation aiming to innovate cyber technologies, want to change that. Today, from 9:30 to 14:45, the second annual Cynam EmPowerCyber conference was held near GCHQ. One thousand Year 8 schoolgirls from over 29 schools across the South West were predicted to attend alongside cyber specialists and business leaders.
The event claims to have “several sponsorship opportunities for your organisation to get involved in to help inspire the next generation.”, and aims to assist in not only closing the widening gender gap in Computer Science, but also inspiring young minds.
With the government declaring a digital skills crisis, it is becoming increasingly important to encourage young people into STEM subjects. On average, almost 20% of people in the UK do not have digital workplace skills, according to the Lloyds Bank Consumer Digital Index, and companies are looking to reduce that percentage, with Lloyds Bank themselves offering free digital training. With the tech industry steadily on the rise, and COVID-19 encouraging more online work than ever before, opportunities like EmPowerCyber and Lloyds’ digital training are becoming vital to closing the digital divide.
There is still ongoing discussion as to why there are fewer women in Computer Science, and the reasons found are often complex, nuanced, and ever changing. In an article written in the Scientific American last year, the writers suggest that stereotypes surrounding Computer Science create a self-fulfilling property; “When girls hear the message, “people like you (i.e., other girls) don’t enjoy this,” they assume they won’t be interested in the activity, and it changes their behavior.”. Events like EmPowerCyber are able to break those stereotypes, and allow girls to meet real, female industry professionals, and surround themselves with women that share a common interest. With only a handful of women in the average Computer Science class, existing as a woman in that environment can often be isolating, and women focused networking events allow those feelings of isolation to be eased.
There is a lot of positive change when it comes to ensuring women are included. An article written by the Washington Post detailed how understanding women’s behaviour patterns allowed for women to apply for more promotions, after initially applying much much less. It’s important to make young women feel seen, understood, and welcome in Computer Science circles, and part of that means looking into how behaviour patterns differ between the genders. With more and more companies investing time and effort into gender equality, it is hoped the gender divide will close over time, and more young women will be inspired and empowered into new careers they may not have considered before.
