Sweden and Gender Equity: Too Much of a Good Thing?
Did you know that Sweden not only sits atop the World Economic Forum’s global information technology and competitiveness rankings, it’s also ranked as one of the most gender-egalitarian countries in the world? Sweden has been in the spotlight for a number of initiatives aimed at equalizing the genders: 60 days of its standard 480-day parental leave are designated for dads, women have high representation in the workforce, and Swedish schools are careful to promote a gender-equal perspective and avoid traditional presentations of gender roles.
Recently, however, a gender-neutral pronoun, “hen” — a composite of he [“han” in Swedish] and she [“hon”] — was added to the online version of the country’s National Encyclopedia, and many feel that the efforts to eradicate gender stereotypes have gone too far by trying to diminish the differences between genders. What do you think?
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Computing Popular Again with College Students
Did you know that computer science enrollments are up by 10% – again? Following a 10% rise last year and marking the fourth straight year of increase, the CRA Taulbee Survey of CRA member institutions recently reported that undergraduate enrollments of computer science majors are up again, to an average of 300 students per department (compare this to a high of 400 before the dot-com bubble and a low of 200 in 2006-2007). CRA’s Peter Harsha speculates that enrollment numbers might have been even higher were some schools not limited by enrollment caps. The percent of women among bachelor’s graduates decreased in CS this year over the previous year, from 13.8% to 11.7%, but the percentages of women were up slightly in computer engineering and information.
This is where we compliment NCWIT members: Academic Alliance members who are also CRA members have outperformed CRA members in percentage of women in CS since 2007; and while Academic Alliance members only make up about one-third of CRA members, they graduated about half of the degrees awarded to women by all CRA members. Nice work!
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Women Scarce in the Tech Workforce … But Not Online?
Did you know that women comprise 55% of online freelance workers? Consulting firm Zinnov looked at the entire online hiring market and found that not only are women doing well with online work, they’re currently the majority of the online workforce. Of the nearly 5 million folks selling their services through these sites, 55 percent are women. Zinnov also reports that the online talent marketplace is growing rapidly, with online hiring most mature in the tech sector, and it estimates that in three years, 15% of the total workforce will be hired online. Some speculate that the work/life flexibility associated with virtual employment is more appealing to women, though women and men report valuing workplace flexibility in equal numbers. Does your company hire freelance talent through an online marketplace? Does it offer virtual work options to increase work/life flexibility?
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April Awareness
Did you know that April is Mathematics Awareness Month (MAM)? Sponsored by the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics and recognized annually since 1986, Math Awareness Month is designed to increase public understanding of and appreciation for math. A wide range of educators, students, companies, and interest groups celebrate MAM with workshops, competitions, exhibits, festivals, lectures, and symposia. We were interested to see that MAM has a different theme every year; this year it’s “Mathematics, Statistics, and the Data Deluge.” Do you celebrate MAM? Do you think Computer Science Education Week would benefit from having a theme?
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Dissecting the Startup Ecosystem
Did you know about the Startup Genome Project? It attempts to take a comprehensive, data-driven look at what makes tech startups successful, and the results might surprise you. For example, it’s become clear that thriving startup ecosystems exist outside of Silicon Valley. But did you know that London-based founders are more likely to have a master’s degree, that Silicon Valley companies are 45% more likely to pivot, and that NYC startups have twice the number of women founders?
Check out TechCrunch’s article for more interesting facts, like the fact that Chicago is ranked #15 on the list of top startup ecosystems. We hope you’ll join us in Chicago for the NCWIT Summit next month to learn tips and strategies for capitalizing on women within your company.
Did You Know? is a brief round-up of information and news that crossed NCWIT’s radar this week that we think might be of interest to you. Practices or content of the news presented are not vetted or endorsed by NCWIT.
- K-12
- K-12
- I Want To
- K-12 Resources
K-12 Resources
Act and advocate for more inclusive computing learning experiences. Encourage and inspire students to explore computing pathways that match their interests and abilities.
- K-12 Programs
K-12 Programs
Inspire and encourage individuals of all backgrounds, equip K-12 and higher education influencers, and foster virtual and in-person communities at local, regional, and national levels.
- K-12 Alliance
K-12 Alliance
Mobilize year-round alongside formal and informal educators and other adult influencers nationwide working together to create lasting impact.
- Get Involved
- Higher Education
- Higher Education
- I Want To
- Higher Ed Resources
Higher Education Resources
Build consensus for action amongst colleagues, leaders, and advisors to create momentum for measurable, sustainable change within computing departments and institutions.
- Higher Ed Programs
Higher Education Programs
Recognize students’ computing aspirations, honor faculty for their outstanding mentorship, secure strategic buy-in for lasting change, and more.
- Higher Ed Alliance
Higher Ed Alliance
Mobilize year round alongside faculty, staff, administrators, department heads, and other mentors nationwide working together to create lasting impact.
- Get Involved
- Workforce
- Workforce
- I Want To
- Workforce Resources
Workforce Resources
Employ strategic approaches that avoid the typical pitfalls of traditional diversity, equity, and inclusion interventions.
- Workforce Programs
Workforce Programs
Volunteer to engage with the next generation of technologists, amplify the bottom-line benefits of diverse technological contributions, and more.
- Workforce Alliance
Workforce Alliance
Mobilize year round alongside corporate seniors, executives, and team leaders nationwide working together to create lasting impact.
- Get Involved
- Resources
- Resources
- Programs
- Programs
- Aspirations in Computing
Aspirations in Computing
Aspirations in Computing (AiC) provides encouragement, enables persistence, opens doors, and changes lives for women in technology from K-12 through career.
- BridgeUP STEM
BridgeUP STEM
BridgeUP STEM provides opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds to learn the skills of computer science and research methodology within a research university setting.
- Color of Our Future
Color of Our Future
The Color of Our Future focuses on broadening the meaningful participation of underrepresented women and girls of color (Black, Latinx, and Native American).
- Conversations for Change
Conversations for Change
Conversations for Change is an online thought leadership series that presents research-based recommendations and prompts peer-to-peer discussions to further inclusivity in computing.
- Counselors for Computing
Counselors for Computing
Counselors for Computing (C4C) offers professional development to school counselors, positioning them to effectively guide ALL students in exploring computing pathways.
- Higher Ed Programs
Higher Ed Programs
Higher Ed programs recognize students’ computing aspirations, honor faculty for their outstanding mentorship, secure strategic buy-in for lasting change, and more.
- NCWIT Recognitions
NCWIT Recognitions
NCWIT Recognitions foster great potential that otherwise may have gone unrecognized, and foster great ideas that might never have come to fruition.
- Regional Initiatives
Regional Initiatives
NCWIT’s Regional Initiatives bundle research-backed programs and practices to increase the local participation of women and girls in tech fields and careers. To understand local computing ecosystems, and cater content and programming to needs on the ground, NCWIT partners with community stakeholders to build awareness, inspire participation, and connect women to like-minded peers, role models, and opportunities.
- Sit With Me
Sit with Me
Sit With Me uses its iconic red chair to create in-person and virtual spaces where everyone can reflect on the value of diversity and inclusion.
- Tech Inclusion Journey
Tech Inclusion Journey
The Tech Inclusion Journey (TIJ) is a unique, scalable software platform that empowers change leaders to implement systemic, sustainable approaches to the creation of inclusive cultures.
- Aspirations in Computing
- News & Events
- News & Events
- NCWIT Summit
NCWIT Summit
The NCWIT Summit: where conversations lead to change is the world’s largest annual convening of change leaders focused on significantly improving diversity and equity in computing.
- News
News
Check out NCWIT’s latest press releases, press mentions, newsletters, blogs, and articles we are talking about!
- Events
Events
NCWIT offers various in-person and virtual events throughout the year and is also present at many other industry events. Find out about past and upcoming items here.
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