The coding world is a man’s world: 80 to 90 percent of code out there has been written by men. This means that the world itself is being designed by men, according to Actua CEO Jennifer Flanagan.
“Coding impacts every day of our lives,” Flanagan said at the Expo for Design, Innovation & Technology in Toronto. “We won’t achieve our innovation potential if we don’t ensure diversity around the table.”
Kids—especially girls—could be the key to the next big tech innovation, she said.
Through experiential learning, Canada’s largest STEM-outreach organization, Actua, teaches foundational skills in science, tech, engineering and math to help kids prepare for careers of the future.
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We need women’s perspective for “better research and better products,” Flanagan recently wrote in BetaKit.
“We can no longer explain away women’s participation rates in tech careers by saying that ‘they just aren’t interested’ or ‘that these career types don’t meet the lifestyle preferences of women.’ To do this is to do a disservice, not just to women, but to society as a whole.”
Frequently Asked Questions
How much of the world's code has been written by men?
According to Actua CEO Jennifer Flanagan, 80 to 90 percent of code has been written by men, which in Flanagan's view means the world itself is being designed by men.
Why does diversity in coding matter, according to Jennifer Flanagan?
Speaking at the Expo for Design, Innovation & Technology in Toronto, Flanagan said coding affects every day of our lives and that we will not achieve our innovation potential without ensuring diversity around the table.
What is Actua?
Actua is described as Canada's largest STEM-outreach organization. Through experiential learning, it teaches kids foundational skills in science, technology, engineering and math to help them prepare for careers of the future.
Why are girls seen as key to future tech innovation?
Flanagan said kids, and especially girls, could be the key to the next big tech innovation, and wrote in BetaKit that women's perspectives are needed for better research and better products.
What explanations for low participation by women in tech does Flanagan reject?
Flanagan wrote that low participation can no longer be explained away by saying women just are not interested or that tech careers do not suit their lifestyle preferences, calling that a disservice to women and to society as a whole.