For Reshma Saujani, reshaping gender roles and societal attitudes has been her life. This strong-willed woman has broken numerous barriers by reshaping societal norms in gender representation in the tech sector. Besides being the first Indian-American woman to run for Congress in 2010, she is also an advocate, teacher and businesswoman who is annihilating gender stereotypes in society through her most well-known endeavor, Girls Who Code.
The tech sector is an infinite field for creativity, but women still have to overcome certain obstacles to truly manifest their strength and prosper through their wit and skill. Even though technology advances, the human mindset remains stubborn about changing perspectives, preventing the gender gap from closing completely.
According to recent data from the online training portal Skillsoft, women make up only approximately 25 percent of the computer workforce. That’s why Saujani took it upon herself to devote her life to using Girls Who Code, a nonprofit organization, to address this problem.
2010 Congress: Moment of Truth
During her 2010 run for Congress, Saujani faced a bad turn of events. But this situation is what led this politician, advocate, and civil servant to realize that her courage was the main factor in her success as the first Indian-American woman to run for Congress. She held on to this thought throughout the 2010s Congress run, especially in her campaigns. Seeing how men vastly make up in fields like computing and engineering, it was then it dawned on her that women should be more skilled than they are to succeed and make their way. In short, Saujani discovered the inevitable gender disparity across a variety of fields was enlightening, as she felt that early empowerment was the answer to this problem.
While we are at it, it is worth mentioning one of her most popular TED Talks from 2016, ‘Tech girls bravery, not perfection.’ Her speech about the origins of the gender gap in technology garnered more than five million views.
Now, back to more life-changing moments from her mission, let’s take a look at her Girls Who Code endeavor. The Girls Who Code is the reality of this strong-willed woman’s realization.
The messages she implanted into the structure of the organization revolve around aspects like trial and error, which leads to imperfection when coding.
The girls who are taught to code from an early age develop technical abilities for their jobs as well as courage and self-confidence even when they falter. What she means is that these flaws, in turn, help spark creativity and new discoveries.
Closing the Gender Gap in Technology
Established in 2012, Girls Who Code was set with the goal of reducing the gender gap in technology. Its early roots can be traced back to when it began as a weekly coding club that grew into a full systemic change catalyst offering mentorship and coding education programs in 300 cities. Reshma Saujani, the organization's founder and CEO, has led Girls Who Code's revolutionary work, equipping girls with confidence and computer skills to seize opportunities as they come. She incorporated a wide range of sessions, workshops, and stipends for students in grades 3 through 12, as well as college students. She even made all these events for free.
More Coding and More Empowerment
Over the years, Saujani’s vision for the company began to bear fruit. Centering around bravery, she infused it into programming and saw that her alumni majored in computer science or related fields at a rate 15 times higher than the US average. At the same time, she saw to it that Girls Who Code addresses the racial inequalities within the tech industry. She made sure that over 50 percent of the girls they took in were from underrepresented groups, including girls who are Black, Latinx, and those from economically backward backgrounds as well.
But right from the start, Saujani felt that there was something more at play than the educational divide that was widening the gender gap in technology-related areas. She saw a subtle psychological barrier that discourages girls from pursuing their interests in sectors that are dominated by men. She believes that this barrier came from deeply ingrained societal conventions, stereotypes, and a dearth of visible role models. She termed it as a harmful "perfection syndrome" that is ingrained in young girls and shows up as glaring gender disparities in the tech industry.
Nurturing Upcoming Tech Leaders and Professionals
Seeing that it was time to change the strategy with the Girls Who Code organization, Saujani made it a point to nurture a holistic pipeline for upcoming tech leaders and professionals. She led the organization to empower women from all circumstances to be brave and independent for all their lives by providing them with intense coding education, mentorship, and a strong activist community. Through curriculum she brought in flagship programs that offer intensive, project-based learning, covering topics from robotics, data analytics, computational thinking to programming basics.
Coding Solutions to Tackle Real-World Problems
She enabled simulator platforms to encourage girls to code and address real-world problems while gaining technical competence through a distinctively gamified approach. This clearly shows that the organization is beyond helping one to be proficient in coding. She brought in programs for empowerment and mentorship. Through each session, participants are introduced to relatable role models, that is, women who have broken down barriers and achieved success in STEM fields. These examples serve as mentors who shape the mindsets into making participants more risk-taking, resilience, and collaborative confidence through seminars, presentations, and one-on-one coaching. Through and through, it is bringing about a systemic change in all of its initiatives, including public lobbying, outreach initiatives, and education training.
Making Change from the Grassroot Level
Saujani made sure the organization follows a grassroots effort to change social perceptions about gender and technology. Accordingly, the organization is living up to this effort by having helped over 38,000 teachers in 50 states implement coding courses. Most importantly, Saujani has made equity and inclusivity its central vision to pave the way for young women from marginalized groups. Today, her Girls Who Code programs serve Native American and military communities in all 50 states, with more than half of its participants coming from low-income families. Girls Who Code is democratizing STEM empowerment by placing a high priority on accessibility and varied representation.
Facilitating Systemic and Cultural Change
Beyond just changing the numbers, Girls Who Code has had a profound impact on the community by facilitating systemic and cultural change. The path taken by Reshma Saujani, the CEO and founder of Girls Who Code, is a strong example of the transformational potential of activism and education. Her unshakeable willpower and efforts are changing the technology industry and opening doors for women who want to succeed in this male-dominated sector. Her story is a source of inspiration as Girls Who Code works to empower the next generation of women technologists. She reminds us all that by supporting every girl's potential, we can create a more equal and promising future for technology and beyond.