The Gender Gap in Tech Is Still a Big Problem: Here's What You Can Do

In non-pandemic times, April brings workplaces flooded with kids who test out being employed adults for a day. They crunch numbers for accounting, write newspaper stories, and try out coding. Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day has been a tradition for so long that some adults who bring their kids to the office once did the same with their parents.

But the annual event started as Take Our Daughters to Work Day, and the reasons why it was created as such still exist. 

Take Our Daughters to Work Day was organized in 1993 by the Ms. Foundation for Women to help improve girls' self-esteem and show them career options. Nell Merlino came up with the idea after reflecting on how she had benefited from her father taking her to work with him. From the start, the day was met with opposition from men and soon boys were included in the program. And while it’s of course valuable for all children to be exposed to different careers, girls are still getting left behind, particularly in technology.

A confidence gap in math starts with girls as soon as third grade, and its widening is evident when looking at how many women receive degrees in STEM. Only 21% of undergraduate engineering degrees in 2016 went to women, and the percentage of computer science Bachelor's degrees awarded to women has dropped from 27% in 1997 to under 19% in 2016. "Computer sciences has one of the lowest shares of women degree recipients among the broad fields of [science and engineering]," according to the National Science Foundation.

Even in classrooms where girls are supposed to be set up for STEM success, there are factors outside of their control that affect their chances of entering a STEM field. 

When the women who have made it against such odds enter the workforce, there is yet more resistance they have to face in the form of gender discrimination and sexual harassment. A study by Accenture and Girls Who Code found that because of the inequities, half of women who go into tech leave by the time they are 35. 

While much has to be done within the industry to resolve the inequality within it, we have to start at the root of the problem. To do that, girls need more than one or two days a year to envision themselves in a tech career. They need their interests in the field nurtured and supported throughout their childhood and beyond. 

Ahead of this year's Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day on April 22 and International Women's Day on March 8, here are some things you can do to help foster an interest in STEM (and equality) in your home, office, and community.

At Home

Literature is a powerful force, and seeing oneself in it presents a path to follow.

• Books like Ada Twist, Scientist and Rosie Revere, Engineer for kids in kindergarten gives them permission to embrace an identity in STEM even at a young age.

• Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World is a good pick for kids in second to sixth grade who will appreciate the short bios and can explore reading about the scientists further.

• Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race makes for a great pairing with the movie for girls who are a bit older.

• Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout is a great graphic novel for pre-teens and teens, and there’s also a movie.

• Rosalind Franklin: The Dark Lady of DNA tells the true story behind the discovery of DNA. 

It’s equally as important to introduce boys to these books so they learn girls are just as capable as they are. Forming allies in the world and workplace needs to begin at the earliest stages.

Supplying girls with tech toys early on can also open up them up to the world of STEM, as can introducing them to shows like PBS’ Hero Elementary and Sci Girls. There are lots of movies to foster STEM that are good for family movie night for all ages. 

Extracurricular Programs

There are STEM programs for kids of all ages at bookstores, universities, and online, as well as excellent organizations specifically for girls, like Girls Who Code and Black Girls Code. Teens (and even adults) can enroll at places like The Grace Hopper Program at Fullstack Academy in New York and Chicago, and there are similar programs across the country, including Ada Developers Academy in Seattle. 

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Start an Education Program at Your Company

If your company is tech-focused or has a tech component, start a mentoring or education program for kids that allows boys to see the girls in the program as their peers now and co-workers and potential bosses later. 

Presenting paid internship opportunities for high school girls and college women, meanwhile, is a great way to help students and pave the way to hire them full-time.

Volunteer at Schools

STEM outreach can also occur at schools. If you’re in the tech field, inquire at local elementary schools and high schools about how you can introduce kids to STEM through an existing club or program or by creating one.

Benefits

Encouraging STEM in girls helps all girls, not just the ones who ultimately end up in tech careers. They gain confidence, develop problem-solving skills that will help them throughout their lives, and improve their career options overall. 

And while there shouldn’t need to be an argument for such efforts beyond benefitting girls and women, there are. Diversity benefits everyone. In the workplace, it leads to a much wider pool of talent, innovation, improved employee morale and performance, and, yes, profits.