Lifestyle Archives - G-IT Paris https://gitparis.com Women in IT Mon, 11 Jul 2022 06:45:06 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.9 https://gitparis.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/cropped-feminism-32x32.png Lifestyle Archives - G-IT Paris https://gitparis.com 32 32 How IT is Changing Pets’ Lives: 11 Technologies That Are Making a Difference https://gitparis.com/how-it-is-changing-pets-lives-11-technologies-that-are-making-a-difference/ Mon, 11 Jul 2022 06:43:51 +0000 https://gitparis.com/?p=2582 It’s hard to believe that just a few short years ago, our pets were mostly living in the dark ages when it came to technology. They relied on us humans to take them for walks, feed them, and give them water. Thankfully, those days are behind us! Today’s pets are benefiting from some amazing IT […]

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It’s hard to believe that just a few short years ago, our pets were mostly living in the dark ages when it came to technology. They relied on us humans to take them for walks, feed them, and give them water. Thankfully, those days are behind us! Today’s pets are benefiting from some amazing IT technologies that are making their lives better in many ways. In this blog post, we will explore 11 of these technologies and discuss how they are changing the pet industry for the better.

Veterinary Telemedicine Services

This is a relatively new technology that is starting to gain traction in the veterinary world. Veterinary telemedicine allows pet owners to consult with a licensed veterinarian from the comfort of their own home using video conferencing software, such as Skype or Facetime. This can be extremely helpful for pet owners who live in rural areas or who have busy schedules and cannot easily take their pets to the vet during normal business hours.

Live Cameras

More and more pet parents are installing live cameras in their homes so they can check on their furry friends while they are away at work or running errands. There are many different types of cameras on the market, ranging from simple webcams to more sophisticated systems that allow you to pan, tilt, and zoom the camera to get a better view of your pet. Some cameras even come with two-way audio so you can talk to your pet while you are away.

GPS Collars

GPS collars are becoming increasingly popular among pet parents who want to be able to track their pet’s whereabouts at all times. These collars use satellite technology to provide real-time tracking information so you always know where your pet is and if they happen to wander off, you can easily locate them.

Online Ordering and E-Commerce

The internet has made it easier than ever before for pet owners to find and purchase the products they need for their pets. From food and toys to clothes and accessories, there is an online retailer that sells just about anything you could possibly need for your pet. And with the advent of one-click ordering and same-day delivery, it has never been easier or more convenient to shop for your pet. Shopify even has special templates for pet stores!

App-Controlled Pet Doors

Do you ever worry about leaving your pet home alone all day while you are at work? With an app-controlled pet door, you can rest assured that your pet will have access to the outdoors when they need it without having to worry about them getting out when you are not home. These doors can be programmed to only open during certain hours or when your pet’s collar is within range, giving you complete control over when and how your pet can come and go.

Social Media Accounts for Pets

Believe it or not, pets are becoming increasingly active on social media. From Facebook to Instagram to Twitter, there are now hundreds of thousands of pets with their own social media accounts. And it’s not just the big dogs, cats, and birds that are getting in on the action; even small animals like hamsters and guinea pigs are joining the social media craze. This is a great way for pet parents to keep up with their pet’s day-to-day activities and see what they’re up to when they’re not with them.

Electronic Toys and Devices

Pets love playing with toys as much as we do, but these days, their toys are getting a lot more high-tech. From automatic ball launchers to app-controlled treat dispensers, there are now tons of electronic toys and devices on the market that are sure to keep your pet entertained for hours on end. And the best part is, many of these toys can be controlled from your smartphone, so you can play with your pet even when you’re not at home.

Movies with Pets

We all love snuggling up on the couch with our pets to watch a good movie, but did you know that there are now entire movies made just for pets? That’s right, there are now movies specifically designed to provide entertainment and enrichment for our furry friends. These movies feature calming music and visuals that help reduce stress and anxiety in pets, and they are the perfect way to keep your pet entertained while you’re away from home.

Online Insurance

Just like human health insurance, pet insurance is now available online. This type of insurance can help offset the cost of unexpected veterinary bills, and it can give you peace of mind knowing that your pet is covered in case of an accident or illness. There are many different types of pet insurance policies available, so be sure to do your research to find one that best meets your needs.

Pet Health & Wellness Solutions

There are now a number of different health and wellness solutions available for pets, ranging from fitness trackers to dietary supplements. These products can help you keep track of your pet’s health and ensure that they are getting the nutrients they need to stay healthy and happy. And with so many different products on the market, you’re sure to find one that fits your pet’s specific needs.

As you can see, there are a number of ways that IT is changing pets’ lives for the better. From telemedicine services to app-controlled pet doors, these 11 technologies are making a difference in the lives of our furry friends.

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What a girl should do if she wants to start a career in IT https://gitparis.com/what-a-girl-should-do-if-she-wants-to-start-a-career-in-it/ Sun, 02 Jan 2022 22:27:36 +0000 http://demo.mekshq.com/voice/?p=168 If a woman finds that for some reason she is burned out in her former job or the work does not bring her pleasure, she should not be afraid to change the field of activity.

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If a woman finds that for some reason she is burned out in her former job or the work does not bring her pleasure, she should not be afraid to change the field of activity. Nowadays, everyone has access to a lot of resources. Therefore, a girl of any age can get an education and build a career in IT. Where to start?

In any business there are three main components of success for self-realization: motivation, self-confidence and the ability to self-education. To master one of the IT professions for girls, you need to train yourself to self-discipline. Set a goal and start to pick up the pieces of knowledge that will be useful for future work in IT. And what else should a woman do to make a career in IT?

Understand what you want to do

You need to choose the right profession, so the work would bring pleasure. If a girl does not know in what direction she would like to work, you can try yourself in different professions. The IT field is very large, with a huge number of companies and many specialties. Any woman can find a profession just for herself, you just need to choose the area that is really interesting to her. Good managers realize that any project will only benefit if interested people with different views on the problem solve will work on it.

Always learning

To succeed in IT you should think proactively, not be afraid to get new information and systematize it correctly. And you must also learn to keep your mental eye forward, to the goal, and understand how many steps to take to reach that goal. Then you have to make a plan and find relevant literature or courses that will give you the knowledge and help you to reach that goal. It’s also important to be able to find the right information when you need it.

Communicate with different people

Communication is another important factor, the soft-skills. There’s an old saying that you have to be able to do everything, but you don’t have to do it all yourself. It is important to be able to communicate with people, to accurately and clearly explain your thoughts to them, so it is necessary to develop communication skills. Working in information technology, a girl will have to deal with different people, including technical specialists, managers, businessmen and clients. These people have different education and different technical level, but most importantly, each of them has different expectations. Each of them needs to be approached in a different way.

Monitor internships and job openings

Contrary to popular belief, you can get a job with a company even without the relevant experience. It is worth periodically sending your resume to companies, and to do this, you need to keep track of job openings and internships. Sometimes it is possible to get a good job in a good company and then make a career in it. Many foreign companies offer grants and internships which are available to Russians. Why not give it a try?

Participate in different IT events

Often Russian or even foreign companies organize gatherings for IT people. Such events take place nowadays not only in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but also in other localities. Just imagine that the most advanced employees in IT sphere gather in one place and they are ready to share their secrets and important information with you. You should definitely go there, get acquainted and communicate with new people, look for like-minded people.

Ask for help

If a woman does not yet have the opportunity to go to hangouts, you can communicate in social networks and do not be afraid to ask for advice. Many girls who work in IT are communicative and willing to share their experiences with their fellow countrywomen. Also on the network, you can meet famous people, talk to us or even meet. This experience is sure to benefit you.

Find a coach or mentor

Mentorship is gradually coming to Russia and is yielding great results. You just need to find a person who will take up teaching the girl (for a fee or free of charge) all the wisdom in the area of interest. You can get acquainted with a future coach or mentor in social networks, you just need to write to him and offer to meet. Most people will agree, that’s a fact!

Develop flexibility of mind

It’s never too late to learn and develop a growth mindset. If you don’t already know what a growth mindset is, now is the time to Google and learn the meaning of the term. People who develop a growth mindset treat problems as life lessons and never pass up in the face of setbacks. One must constantly learn something, be flexible and resourceful, only then can a girl build a career in It on a par with men.

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If you think the number of women in IT is just a problem with the hiring funnel, you haven’t looked carefully https://gitparis.com/if-you-think-the-number-of-women-in-it-is-just-a-problem-with-the-hiring-funnel-you-havent-looked-carefully/ Sat, 02 Oct 2021 22:39:37 +0000 http://demo.mekshq.com/voice/?p=192 According to a Harvard Business Review study, 41% of women in IT end up leaving the field (compared to 17% of men), and I understand why…

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According to a Harvard Business Review study, 41% of women in IT end up leaving the field (compared to 17% of men), and I understand why…

I learned to program at 16, and now I’m in my 30s. I got my PhD in math from Duke University. I still remember my pride in the “horse move” algorithm I wrote in C++ in high school; the awesome puzzle interpreter interpreting itself (my first semester college course Scheme); my fascination with different types of matrix decompositions in C in grad school; and my excitement for relational databases and web scrapers at my first job.

Ten years after I learned to program, I still loved algorithms, but felt alone and overwhelmed in the IT culture. While working at a particularly ill-suited company, I was so unhappy that I hired a career counselor to discuss alternative career paths. Leaving IT would have been killer, but it wasn’t easy to stay either.

I’m not the stereotypical male programmer in my early 20s who wants to “work hard, get off hard.” I work a lot, but I’d rather get up earlier than leave later, and I was already planning ahead for how my husband and I would coordinate our schedules with daycare. Beer taps and ping-pong tables don’t appeal to me. I’m not aggressive enough to thrive in a competitive environment. And talking to other women in the industry, I realized I wasn’t alone in my frustration.

When researcher Kieran Snyder interviewed 716 women who left IT after an average of 7 years, almost all said they liked the work but were unhappy in the work environment. In a study for the National Science Foundation, Nadia Fouad interviewed 5,300 women with engineering degrees over the past 50 years, and 38% of them are no longer working as engineers. Fouad summarized her findings about why they left with the phrase, “It’s the climate, dummies!”

It’s a huge, unnecessary and expensive loss of talent in an industry supposedly understaffed. Given that IT is now one of the main drivers of the U.S. economy, it affects everyone. Any technology company that has difficulty hiring and retaining enough employees should be especially concerned about solving this problem.

Your company is NOT a meritocracy and you are NOT “gender-neutral.”

No one wants to think of themselves as sexist. However, several studies show that identical resumes are viewed differently depending on whether they are labeled male or female. When a man and a woman read the same text of a business pitch or a request for a raise, they are evaluated differently. Both men and women are prone to this kind of bias. The bias arises subconsciously without malice.

Here are just a few studies on subconscious gender bias:

  • Investors prefer entrepreneurial pitches by men to identical pitches by women by a ratio of 68% to 32% in a Harvard, Wharton and MIT School of Management study. “Pitches delivered by a male voice were rated as more persuasive, logical and fact-based compared to the same pitches delivered by a female voice.”
  • In a randomized, double-blind study from Yale University, science departments at 6 major institutions evaluated candidates for lab manager. Candidates with randomly assigned male names were rated as more competent and employable, and were offered a larger starting salary and career mentorship compared to identical candidates with female names.
  • When men and women negotiated hires by reading the same text, the Harvard and Carnegie-Mellon study rated women who asked for a larger salary as difficult to work with and less pleasant, but men were not perceived negatively for bargaining.
  • Psychology faculty were sent resumes of candidates (with randomly assigned male and female names), and men and women were significantly more likely to hire a man rather than a woman with the same track record.
  • In 248 performance reviews of the best employees in IT, negative personality criticism (harshness, shrillness, irrationality) was present in 85% of women and only 2% of men in the reviews. It would be ridiculous to assume that 85% of women and only 2% of men have problems.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

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10 great programmers https://gitparis.com/10-great-programmers/ Mon, 16 Aug 2021 22:38:01 +0000 http://demo.mekshq.com/voice/?p=174 "Most successful programmers are men," is one of many common misconceptions about programmers .

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“Most successful programmers are men,” is one of many common misconceptions about programmers . Female programmers are not often in the spotlight, and their contributions are less known to the world. Today we decided to compile a list of the top female programmers whose contributions have played a huge role in computer science and information technology.

  1. Grace Hopper

Grace Murray Hopper (December 9, 1906 – January 1, 1992) was one of the first programmers of the ASCC computer, called Mark I. She invented the first compiler for a programming language and was one of those who popularized the idea of machine-independent programming languages. Her ideas influenced the development of COBOL, one of the first high-level programming languages. She coined the term “debugging” to correct computer glitches and programming errors.

  1. Ada Lovelace

Ada Byron , also known as Lady Lovelace (December 10, 1815 – November 27, 1852), was a writer and gifted mathematician. She was the first woman to develop an algorithm that could be processed by a machine or computer. Based on her notes, it is brought out that the algorithm she invented would have been accurately processed on the first general machine computer. Thus, she is considered the world’s first programmer.

  1. Lois Hybt.

Lois Mitchell Hybt (born 1934) was an American computer scientist. She was one of ten people on the IBM team that developed FORTRAN, the first successful high-level programming language. While developing FORTRAN, she analyzed the flow of programs created by other sections of the compiler. She also created the first parser for arithmetic expressions.

  1. Barbara Liskow

Barbara Liskow (born November 7, 1939) was one of the first women to receive a Ph.D. in computer science in the United States and a Turing Prize winner who developed the Liskow Substitution Principle (LSP). She has led many important projects, including the Venus operating system and the development and implementation of CLU. Barbara also created Argus, the first high-level language to support distributed programs and demonstrate pipelining techniques, and Thor, an object-oriented database system.

  1. Francis Elizabeth Allen

Frances Elizabeth Allen (born August 4, 1932) is an American computer scientist in the field of compiler optimization. Allen was the first female member of IBM and in 2006 became the first woman to win the Turing Prize. Her accomplishments include core work in compilers, program optimization and parallelization. She has spent most of her career developing advanced programming language compilers for IBM Research.

  1. Gene Bartik

Jean Jennings Bartik (December 27, 1924 – March 23, 2011) was one of the first ENIAC computer programmers. She and her colleagues developed and codified many of the basics of programming while working on ENIAC, as it was the first computer of its kind. After working on ENIAC, Bartik went on to work at BINAC and UNIVAC and worked for various technology companies as a writer, manager, engineer, and programmer.

  1. Margaret Hamilton

Margaret Highfield Hamilton (born August 17, 1936) was a systems engineer and scientist. She was the director of software development at the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory, which developed the onboard software for the Apollo space program. This software included algorithms developed for the Apollo command module, the lunar lander, and the subsequent Skylab. She was the one who coined the term “software development.”

  1. Shafi Goldwasser

Shafi Goldwasser (born 1958) is an American-Israeli computer scientist, winner of the 2012 Turing Prize. She has made significant contributions in the fields of computational complexity theory, cryptography, and number theory. She is the co-author of probabilistic encryption , which established and achieved the gold standard of security for data encryption. Shafi also invented zero-disclosure proofs, which demonstrate the validity of a statement without transmitting any additional values, and is a key tool in the development of cryptographic protocols.

  1. Karen Spark Jones

Karen Spark Jones (August 26, 1935 – April 4, 2007) was an American information scientist. Karen contributed enormously to the development of information retrieval of unstructured documentary information. The foundations of her development have been used in the creation of search engines.

  1. Radya Perlman

Radya Joy Perlman (born January 1, 1951) is an American programmer and network engineer. She is well known for her invention of the Linking Tree Protocol (STP), which is fundamental to the operation of network bridges. She has also made major contributions to network design and standardization, such as link state routing protocols.

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Opportunities for girls in IT https://gitparis.com/opportunities-for-girls-in-it/ Mon, 02 Aug 2021 22:30:53 +0000 http://demo.mekshq.com/voice/?p=187 Let's understand what we mean by IT (the field of information technology). In addition to programming, in this broad field there are immersive technologies (VR/AR),

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Let’s understand what we mean by IT (the field of information technology). In addition to programming, in this broad field there are immersive technologies (VR/AR), where experience designers, marketers, system architects, etc. are required; and UX/UI design (user interface development), and also project management, SMM, Data Science, manual or automated testing and much more. That’s why in today’s industry it is valuable to have a versatile experience and perspective, critical thinking and growth mindset. The IT sphere gives girls and women ample opportunities for professional and personal growth: any mind – humanitarian, technical or creative – can realize its potential here.

Also work in IT sphere allows independent and independent planning of own life, everyday life, personal development and achieving financial and career goals. If it seems difficult to find yourself as a performer, you can try to become a creator of some product and start a technological startup.

About stereotypes

Almost every girl who wants to connect to build a career in digital faces stereotypes that poison life and kill the desire to move in their direction. Here are some of them:

  1. Only people with a mathematical mindset work in IT.
    In fact, in addition to programming, there are many specializations that will suit girls: you can manage projects, test applications, engage in game design and so on.
  2. There are a lot of men in IT, which creates a tense environment for the few girls in the team.
    In fact, there are men in IT who are gender neutral.
  3. Studying in the IT stream at a university, a girl will not be able to achieve anything, because it is a male world.
    Yes, a girl will experience difficulties, but a proactive mindset will help her overcome the unpleasant moments.
  4. Girls are inherently more likely to major in the humanities, not IT.
    This is a myth – aptitudes are not gender dependent.
  5. No matter what the proportion of girls in the learning environment, it does not affect the outcome of the educational process.
    That’s not true. It very much does: girls who don’t get support often leave the profession.

Tips for girls who want to start a career in IT

Understand what you already know and what you want

Think about what style of life suits you, what do you want more – to be a free bird or to work in big corporations? If you don’t know yet, just try it, there is no better way to figure out your desires and preferences.

Monitor job openings and internships regularly

Go to your potential employer’s website under “jobs/careers.” Send in your resume with the note, “I like your company’s values and am ready to grow and develop.” Don’t be discouraged to try different positions even without relevant experience.

Don’t be disappointed in your career choice right away

It’s not at all necessary that the first three professions in IT that you try out will be perfect for you. Patience and proactive action will help.
There is a library of useful videos on the community site, you may be interested in girls’ stories and their perspective on their careers

Regularly participate in IT events

Not only Russian communities, but also similar foreign ones. Meet new people and make connections. The easiest way to find such offline and online events is on Facebook.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

There are a huge number of bloggers and career counselors on any of the social networks who can provide basic advice on finding yourself in IT for free.

Find yourself a mentor

A girl who will agree to support you for free, for a fee or by barter (she gives you her experience, you give her all possible assistance on the project/area of your competence), to give tips, to help with advice. Many of today’s IT girls are open to networking – find someone whose success story inspires you, get to know that girl in the Girls do IT community, or even post on Facebook and ask her for coffee and mentorship. Most will respond! Yes, it’s exactly that simple:)

Master the growth mindset technique.

Read about what a growth mindset is: learn to think bigger, develop your abilities and master new ones, be resourceful and flexible.

Google

For example, type “how to make a career in IT”, you will find a lot of tips from experienced people and experts. If you come across an obscure word, you can google it and broaden your horizons.
Is it necessary to have a degree in programming, or is it easier to finish courses and move in your own direction?

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Famous women in IT https://gitparis.com/famous-women-in-it/ Tue, 20 Apr 2021 22:29:40 +0000 http://demo.mekshq.com/voice/?p=175 It is said that there are few women in IT because there are not enough role models. There are few examples in the media or in movies that make a girl think "Wow, I want to be like her!"

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It is said that there are few women in IT because there are not enough role models. There are few examples in the media or in movies that make a girl think “Wow, I want to be like her!” or “Wow, she did it, so I can do it! And really, I almost don’t remember movies or books where the heroine is a hacker, for example. Butoooo… there are examples not from movies, but from real life:

Gayle Laakmann McDowell

Gayle is the author of the famous books Cracking the Coding Interview, Cracking the PM Interview, and Cracking the Tech Career. Gayle graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and worked as an intern at Apple and Microsoft and then four years at Google as a Software Engineer.
Gayle now works as a strategic hiring consultant and is the founder of the CareerCup website.
She is active in answering technical and non-technical questions on Quora https://www.quora.com/profile/Gayle-Laakmann-McDowell and you can read her personal blog for lots of career advice http://www.gayle.com/career-advice/.

Melinda Gates

The only thing you probably know about Melinda Gates is that she’s Bill Gates’ wife. But for more than 10 years Melinda worked as a programmer at Microsoft. She was involved in the development of many of the company’s multimedia products, such as Publisher, Microsoft Bob, Encarta and Expedia.
In a recent Facebook post, she revealed that she became interested in Computer Science thanks to a computer science teacher at her school. Melinda Gates received her bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Economics from Duke University in 1986 and her MBA from the same university in 1987.
Melinda supports the Women in IT movement, I found this interview of hers quite interesting.

Sue Black

You are mother of 3 kids and you think it is too late to start programming? See here ) ->
Sue Black was born in 1962 in Fareham, UK. Sue left school at 16 and had three children by the time she was 20. By 25, Sue was a single mother, living in a shelter for battered women.
Then came the turning point: Sue took a math course at night school and, thanks to that course, got into Computer Science at the University of London. She graduated with a BA in 1993 and a PhD in Software Engineering in 2001.
Sue Black has worked as a Senior Research Fellow at London South Bank University and as Head of Information Systems at the University of Westminster.
Now – in addition to being a Computer Science professor at Durham University – she is a technical evangelist, speaker, founder of the online community BCSWomen (British Computer Society Women) and offline community #techmums, author of over 20 research articles, and, judging by her peers, an outstanding leader.
There are her research articles and interviews online.

Marissa Mayer

Marissa Mayer became known as president of Yahoo! But her successes began much earlier: She graduated with honors from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree, earned a master’s degree in artificial intelligence, and joined Google in 1999, becoming the company’s 21st employee. During her 13 years at Google, she was an engineer, designer, product manager and supervisor.
Mayer held key roles in Google Search, Google Images, Google News, Google Maps, Google Books, Google Product Search, Google Toolbar, iGoogle and Gmail. Her work at Yahoo cannot be called successful, but her background is still noteworthy.

Cynthia Breazeal

Cynthia Breazeal has a Ph.D. in robotics from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). She graduated from UCLA with a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 1989, and received her Master Degree and Doctor of Science from MIT.
Her main areas of expertise are robotics, social robots, and artificial intelligence. To learn more about her, visit her website at http://cynthiabreazeal.media.mit.edu/.

Sandy Carter

Sandy Carter is vice president of Amazon Web Services and, before that, general manager at IBM.
Sandy Carter received her undergraduate degree in Math and Computer Science in 1986 and her MBA from Harvard in 1989.
Sandy leads the Girls in Tech movement, and is the author of “The New Language of Business: SOA & Web 2.0.”, “Extreme Innovation: 3 Superpowers for Purpose and Profit” and “Geek Girls are Chic!” (despite the glamorous title, it’s a book with some pretty sound advice – you can read it here)

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How Stereotypes Keep Women from Learning and Working Well https://gitparis.com/how-stereotypes-keep-women-from-learning-and-working-well/ Thu, 15 Apr 2021 22:35:44 +0000 http://demo.mekshq.com/voice/?p=183 The binary code was invented by mathematician Ada Augusta Lovelace, who also wrote the first program and introduced key programming concepts (loop and working cell),

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The binary code was invented by mathematician Ada Augusta Lovelace, who also wrote the first program and introduced key programming concepts (loop and working cell), but educational institutions still often emphasize that technical fields are not meant for women. This is broadcast by society and has a toxic effect on young, insecure female students.

Alisa Tsvetkova, the founder of the #ITGIRLS school, once said that girls are shy to ask questions in class if there are guys in the group. Of course, this affects academic performance. The very fact that there are fewer girls in technical schools than members of the opposite sex affects the educational process.

Our analyst went to a school with a mathematical bias, and even there she felt slight indulgence from the people around her. Later, when she was at university, she was asked the decisive question on the systems engineering exam – how much current is measured. This attitude towards women affects all stages of their professional development.

It happens that university teachers, on the contrary, turn a blind eye to the fact that girls have not learned something. They believe that it is difficult for them. People live in such relationships without realizing that so-called “benevolent sexism” has a negative effect on women. At best, the girl will become lazy because of indulgence and get a lower quality education. At worst, she will believe that she cannot master the subject and give up trying.

Here we are talking about the stories of women who have gone through training and professional development, gained a career and a steady income. Each of these girls recalls encountering prejudice in their attitudes. It can be assumed that many people with less strong character chose a different profession because they did not get support or space to develop in time.

Our heroines’ experiences confirm the conclusion of Women in Tech 2020: 56% of female workers in IT have faced the statement “technology is not for girls.” And a Harvard Business Review study shows that 41% of women working in IT end up leaving the field (compared to 17% of men).

Even mainstream culture paints a picture in which girls don’t see a place for themselves. In the movies, all the hackers are male nerds. Dudya’s show about Silicon Valley shows only men. As Alisa Tsvetkova points out, girls go into programming only if a guy or someone from the family shows them by example that it’s not difficult.

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Expectations vs. Reality https://gitparis.com/expectations-vs-reality/ Sun, 11 Apr 2021 22:35:59 +0000 http://demo.mekshq.com/voice/?p=182 Developers and IT directors at many companies would like to see gender diversity in their departments.

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Developers and IT directors at many companies would like to see gender diversity in their departments. Businesses today are willing to hire more female programmers, analysts, designers, and technical writers, but cannot find them. Let’s figure out who they are – the “specialists” in IT, why there are still few of them in this industry, and whether it’s true that they still have a hard time building a career.

Boys to the left, girls to the right. Toys and career choice

Boy – a robot and a gun, girl – Barbie and toy dishes. To a boy, a console; to a girl, cosmetics. A study by Clive Thompson, “The Secret History of Women in IT,” cites statistics: parents were twice as likely to give computers to their sons as to their daughters. If they bought computers for the whole family, they were more likely to put them in the boys’ room.

From an early age we are all in one way or another implanted with the notion of “female” and “male” professions. For example, code is a thing built on logic and neatness, and here gender stereotypes about female logic come into play. Even a child can draw the same conclusion.

Our backend developer had dreamed of a career in the technical field since high school, but she doubted that she would be able to develop in it. Girls were intimidated by stereotypes that such jobs were only for men and that there would be problems with maternity leave. Then she transferred to a physics lyceum, graduated from the Department of Applied Computer Science in Economics, and now she is glad that everyone in the professional environment is enthusiastic about the idea and does not think about who is what gender.

Social pressure, especially at the beginning of life, is a hard thing to overcome. Against this background, it is not surprising that programming has gained the status of a “male” profession. A girl’s desire to write code is often perceived by people around her as a bliss, which will pass with age.

Another one of our developers in the university encountered a professor who told the students that in the end they would cook borscht at home anyway, and not work in their specialty. He treated everyone equally on exams, but the frequent references to homemaking were demotivating.

To summarize: from an early age, girls are convinced that programming is not for them. As a consequence, the number of women’s resumes for development jobs is ten times less than men’s. In life we meet positive examples of specialists, because of this it seems that there is no problem – those who want to, get into IT. This is nothing but a survivor’s mistake, because we never learn about those girls who could not overcome stereotypes and insecurity.

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Is discrimination a thing of the past? https://gitparis.com/is-discrimination-a-thing-of-the-past/ Mon, 29 Mar 2021 22:33:06 +0000 http://demo.mekshq.com/voice/?p=201 Worldwide, the number of women employed in IT is increasing every year. A 2011 DOU study shows that only 6.8% of women worked in IT.

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Worldwide, the number of women employed in IT is increasing every year. A 2011 DOU study shows that only 6.8% of women worked in IT. And a 2008 Harvard Business Review study shows that 41% of women leave the IT sphere due to disloyalty on the part of their colleagues.

Ten years later the DOU 2021 showed that the percentage of IT-girls had increased to 22.3%. A study by WonderWoman 2021 showed that 43% of girls have moved into IT from other professions. 73% of women in IT see a future only in this area and want to become a specialist of senior level and above.

On the one hand there is an obvious change of trend and we cannot speak about direct gender discrimination in IT today. On the other hand, the percentage of women working in IT is still small compared to other areas. According to a Stack Overflow survey published in 2020, only 7.7% of women in Russia are employed in software development. If we talk about the global IT industry as a whole, the proportion of female developers is slightly higher, at 15%.

There are cases when during meetings the client addresses all questions to a man. Our analyst sometimes encounters a situation when she has to win over a client before he sees her as a specialist. A project manager says the same problem: they might not pay attention to her words until the same thing is repeated by a male colleague.

In conclusion, I would like to dispel the main outdated stereotype that a female programmer is like a guinea pig. The guinea pig has nothing to do with the sea or pigs, and a girl programmer has nothing to do with programming or girls.

GitHub cited statistics based on gender-neutral profiles. It turns out that code written by girls is accepted 3% more often (in a situation where the gender of the developer is unknown). This can be attributed to statistical error, but in any case it turns out that female and male code are equally good. So programming skill does not depend on gender. The second part of the stereotype, about looks, is also wrong.

Ten years ago we saw informal female programmers. But back then, guys were caricatured IT guys in thick glasses and sweaters, too. “Now IT professionals are the most enviable suitors. They go to the gym and barbershop and are dressed in the latest fashion. Girls in the field are very feminine, well-groomed and look great,” says the founder of #ITGIRLS.

Progressive companies, and there is a majority of such in IT, have overcome inequality and stopped evaluating specialists by gender. HR-director of Extyl points out that we do not have prejudices against gender, age and nationality of applicants. Certain soft and hard skills are important.

Nor should we forget that discrimination can be directed not only outwardly. Misogyny, self-prejudice, surprisingly enough, is often in the minds of women themselves and their inner circle. And this, too, must be combated.

Compare: when the fork for a job is 100-120k, it’s typical for a girl to ask for 100 and a guy to ask for 120. Employers are more likely to agree to these requirements, hence the difference in income. According to an Instagram poll by the founder of the #ITGIRLS school, girls dream of earning 300,000, and guys – 3 million. It’s time to learn to dream more freely and ambitiously.

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