Exposure to technology is a first step, but we have longer to travel to build a strong tech talent pipeline with women from our community.
Background
While more women than men currently graduate from college in the U.S., only 18% of computer science degrees are earned by women -- a percentage that reflects over a decade of stagnation. Moreover, only a quarter of U.S. computing jobs are held by women, down from a peak of 36% in 1991. Representation is even worse for women of color: Black women hold 3% of computing jobs while Latinas hold 1%. Based on the demographics of the United States, these proportions should look significantly different.
The 2010 U.S. Census estimated that women accounted for 50.6% of the Omaha population. Of those women, 65.4% were considered to be a part of the labor force. Despite Omaha’s significant population of employable women, they hold only 24.4% of local tech roles. This math doesn’t add up, Omaha.
Diversity in tech is essential to creating new and innovative products. The beauty of diversity, both surface-level and on a deeper level, lies in the variety of approaches to solving problems. While the business case for diversity suggests significant added value to organizations, it’s also the right thing to do.
Research
This research focused on exploring the experiences of two main groups of women in the Omaha area:
women in traditional university programs whose current or former majors had a strong emphasis in computer science, and
women who were currently or formerly working full-time in tech roles for Omaha employers.
Research question topics included pre-college and family experiences, personal traits, major or career choice, culture and climate of the program/work environment, stereotypes , and future plans.
A total of 20 Omaha women participated in the study: seven students and 13 employees. Of the seven students, only one had left a tech major. Three of the 13 employees had left tech careers. Of those three, one was considering a return to tech.
Research guides were created to maintain a consistent interviewing experience, but participants were free to talk about the areas that they felt had the greatest influence on their tech path. Students ranged from sophomores in a 4-year program to members of a PhD program. Employee work experience ranged from two years into their first tech job to working for over 30 years in the industry.
Participants spent 30-60 minutes, either in person or on a web-based Zoom call, sharing their personal stories and perspectives, from how they chose their majors to what steps they took along their career paths. Each participant was offered a gift card for her time.
Findings
Mentorship, Sponsorship & Representation
Seeing someone who represents one of your identities is powerful. Having someone listen to you in tough times and help to guide you is powerful. Having someone represent you and refer you for highly visible opportunities is powerful. Women in tech need these people in their lives.
Flexibility
Flexibility was a strong retention tool and lack of flexibility lost women in the field. We need to think bigger and broader about jobs to make sure that women are supported. Part-time and remote opportunities help women feel supported and valued and allow women to bring their whole selves to work.
Different Interests
It’s totally possible that we lose women because their interests change over time. However, we don’t want to lose women who haven’t yet discover that they can contribute to tech. Teaching transferrable skills or how to understand transferrable skills can help women who choose to leave or join tech.
Gatekeeping & Sexism
This is an ugly one. No one wants to hear these stories, but they exist and we need to recognize that a perfect utopia without sexism doesn’t yet exist. We need to speak up when we see it because it moves women out of tech.
Bright Spots
With some of the ugly, good exists. Women who understand what it’s like to be a woman in tech are willing to pull other women up with them. Volunteers who help girls see opportunities are giving future generations a unique chance to see tech in a new way.
