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In recent times, women have paved their way into STEM in inspiring ways. But we still have a long way to go before we claim equality and diversity in the field of technology. It is no secret that there is an acute lack of diversity in computing. The gender ratio in my own college is 1:8! Upon doing some research, I found that only 19% of undergraduate computer science students in the world are female. Having seen the impact of the brilliant women in my life, I realized that it is crucial to bring more women into technology, to bring forward their perspectives, and make their voices heard for effective solutions to the global problems we have today.
The key idea is this - a virtuous cycle can be created. More women in tech careers would mean more mentors, role models, and encouragement for young girls to get into the field. So, I took the initiative to create 'Women in Technology', a platform on Github that would encourage girls to pursue tech, and serve as a collection of resources consisting of courses, learning guides, articles, and blogs. I built my own community on Discord too (join here!) and created a strong network of women so that we can support, encourage and uplift one another. Before I knew it, the Github repository had gained much traction and my Discord community now has over 550 members discussing and sharing opportunities across the network, showing how much these initiatives are needed for women everywhere today. Recently, we have collaborated with SheGazette to provide regular newsletters to all our members about upcoming programs and events, internship/job opportunities and great resources for the same!
I have also attempted to increase the participation of women in open source. I was a project maintainer for my GitHub repository for Hacktoberfest 2020 and 2021. October is usually a busy month for us and many new contributors from diverse backgrounds are helping create a website for Women in Tech. Check out the website here! It is an amazing experience working with people from different countries, and I have learned so much from these extremely talented contributors! This has further motivated me to work towards increasing diversity and promoting inclusion in tech.
Awareness is the most crucial step to bringing about change on a large scale. I have spoken extensively about my journey in technology, and how to make the most of the opportunities given to you. I believe it is important to be vocal about the issues we face and talk about its solutions publicly as much as possible! Some ways I have tried to spread the word -
'Women in Technology' has been featured in the Github Readme Project article - Creating Opportunity for women in development
I also did an Instagram takeover, talking about the repository on the award-winning page of womenintech.io as well as STEM4Girls.
Youtube videos (attached) and blogs talking about women-centric initiatives like Grace Hopper Celebration and the Generation Google Scholarship.
On campus, I have been part of 2 departments that work for this cause. I am a senior mentor in BITS Goa Women in Tech, where I personally mentor 5 girls interested in technology and guide them with academics, resources, applications to programs & scholarships, etc. I was also a part of Girlscript Foundation as an Operations Team Member, wherein we conducted events geared towards improving tech culture in college, and increased participation of females in coding. I was awarded the Star Performer of the Year at Girlscript for my dedicated contribution to the department.
I have met some wonderful people and learned a lot about leadership and taking initiative throughout this journey. I am thankful that it has helped so many people and hope that I can keep contributing to my community in meaningful ways.
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