After International Women's Day, What's Next?

Today is International Women's Twenty-four hours. Simply as former Uber engineer Susan Fowler'due south recent post nigh the sexism she faced at the company illustrates, it continues to be a struggle for women to enter and remain in the industry.

Opinions Every bit I write this, I can anticipate the angry comments it volition receive. Merely just every bit women continue showing up at jobs where they earn less than their male person peers, nourish gender-equality panels with simply male speakers, and walk abroad from meetings with VCs without funding, I'll persist.

The Day Without a Woman strike, which coincides with IWD this year, is 1 way to demonstrate the bear upon of women in the workplace and the earth. But for the other days of the yr, we should have a cue from its organizers, the people behind the Women's March, and move forward through solidarity (check out Wogrammer on Twitter for personal stories of female engineers to start).

That's not to say women should shun their male colleagues and mixed organizations but that women-centric classes, panels, and groups tin provide essential networking and back up.

Women 2.0, for case, was founded to change the statistics most women in engineering science, and it directs women to resources for all stages of their careers. The Anita Borg Institute as well provides free resources on creating engineering careers and connects women in tech careers to each other through local groups, though it is best known for hosting the Grace Hopper Commemoration of Women in Computing Conference, scheduled for October. iv-vii in Orlando.

Other female person-focused women-in-tech conferences include:

IEEE Women in Technology International Leadership Conference in San Jose on May 22-23, which is partnering with Latinas in Stem this year
Women in Technology Top in San Jose on June 11-thirteen
Women of Color STEM Conference in Detroit on Oct. 5-7
Global Tech Women's Voices Conference going on now in Commonwealth of australia until March 10

Women who want to acquire to code can teach themselves or go to whatever school that offers classes, just they might also reap benefits beyond programming by attending The Grace Hopper Plan, a coding school geared toward women that lets them pay back the cost of tuition subsequently they have secured a chore in the manufacture. Its emphasis on mentoring and robust alumnae network make finding that employment that much easier in a world that is built on networking.

For younger women who are interested in coding, at that place are the splendid programs like Black Girls Code, Girls Who Code, and TechGirlz. They inspire girls who are at risk of abandoning their involvement in Stalk in middle school, a point in their lives when societal messages and expectations ofttimes give boys a leg up. Google's Made west/Code initiative, a drove of projects and resource for girls, too lets them work on their own projects with groups of friends.

If you lot want to stock the playroom with STEM-centric gadgets, meanwhile, check out toys from Adafruit, GoldieBlox, Blink Blink, Roominate, and JewelBots. Or peruse this souvenir guide.

In the end, creating spaces and events for women benefits the tech industry, which should be focusing its resources on innovation rather than harassment lawsuits.