When we talk about women in coding, there is a huge gender gap that exists in the industry. Women in tech are severely underrepresented. There has been a steady increase in the number of women in the tech workforce in India over the years. However, the number is still quite low. Women make up only 34% of the IT workforce in India. Learning to code opens new doors of opportunity for women. Gender equality in the tech sector is still a distant dream. What is important to note is that organizations that have more ladies coding tend to do well and are more profitable as well. In today’s fast-paced world, companies in the tech industry want to recruit great talent. This is highly beneficial for women in tech.
The history of women in coding
- The journey of women in coding and programming dates back to 1945, when the world’s first programmable, general-purpose electronic computer was built.
- Computer programming had much better gender equality decades ago than what we see today.
- Women played a key role in the development of ENIAC, the world’s first programmable general-purpose computer.
- The majority of the programming work was done by female mathematicians.
- Women programmed the ENIAC computer to execute the instructions.
- It was the women working on the ENIAC computer who discovered that software never worked right the first time, and the main role of a programmer was to identify and fix the bugs.
- Not just this, but the first programmer was a woman too, named Ada Lovelace, a young mathematician in England.
Why learning to code is important for women?
Here are several advantages of coding for women.
Find a job easily
- There is a huge demand for individuals who know how to code, irrespective of gender.
- Due to the industry’s fierce competition, the job seeker is always at an advantage in terms of monetary and other benefits offered by companies.
- For those women who want to pursue a career in coding or some who want to restart their careers, a certification and knowing the basics is enough.
- No professional university degree is needed to get a job in the coding field.
- What matters is the coding skills and knowledge of the programming languages.
Be a part of the larger job market
- Coding is perhaps one of the fastest growing fields in India and across the globe.
- Women learning to code are better placed to keep pace with men in the industry.
- Women who know coding can be a part of the huge job market that exists, and receive a higher salary than in other fields.
Work from home opportunities
- The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a lot of work-from-home opportunities and flexibility, especially in the tech industry.
- The pandemic was a period when everyone, including organizations, discovered that it was possible to work from home with improved productivity and even attend video conferences without meeting in-person.
- The work-from-home opportunities for women in coding are a great boon for working mothers who want to begin their career again and look for work-life balance as well.
Problem-solving approach
- Learning to code helps women develop critical thinking and logical reasoning skills.
- Coding encourages women to deal with large and complex problems by breaking them into small and manageable ones.
- Women in coding also come up with unique and innovative solutions to overcome complex challenges.
Opportunities in different industries
- Learning to code opens doors of opportunity not just in the tech or IT industry, but others as well.
- The IT industry works in sync with many other industries.
- Women in tech who know coding can also make the switch outside of the IT industry.
- There are ample job opportunities available for coding in different industries.
Competitive pay
- With such a competitive environment in the industry, women with good coding skills are invaluable to organizations.
- With the high attrition rate, companies in the tech industry are now realizing the value of good coders and are offering them a higher package than the average salary, along with bonuses and other benefits as well.
- Women in coding can get a good salary even if they are starting at a junior level.
Women and girls learning to code is the need of the hour to resolve the gender gap that exists in the tech industry. Learning to code can open up a world of infinite possibilities for women. From building their own website to programming a robot, there are a lot of things that women in tech can do. One of the best results or outcomes of the participation of women in coding would be to bend the stereotype that exists in society that men can perform technical tasks better than women. Coding and programming are essential job skills of the present and future as well. For every 11 coding jobs in India, there is just one coding professional available. An Indeed report indicates that the number of coding jobs is expected to increase by 22% in 2022. After the US, India ranks second among the world’s best countries to work for coders. Everyone should learn how to code to be a part of the tech industry, which has several opportunities.
