This International Women’s Day we’re asking people to give a big thumbs up to girls and women in technology.
This time last year, the Guardian reported that ‘just 27% of those employed in Britain’s digital industries are women’. Statistics updated by the Women’s Engineering Society last month show that although ‘companies are 15% more likely to perform better if they are gender diverse’, only 9% of the engineering workforce is female and only 15.8% of engineering and technology undergraduates in the UK are female.
We want to support more young women to explore STEAM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Maths) and ensure they are encouraged to pursue their interests, training and opportunities are accessible to them, and that barriers and negative stereotypes are challenged.
On Tuesday 8th March, International Women’s Day 2016, we’re asking people to show their support and give girls and women in technology the thumbs up:
1. Choose a bit of code – such as <> / & or { }
2. Print it on your thumb and pose for the camera (check out the images below for some inspiration)
3. Write your message of support, such as ‘My thumbs up for girls and women in tech’
4. Tag your photo #IWD16 and mention @knowlewestmedia
5. Get sharing!
You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – we’ll share as many as we can!
If you’d like to know more about our projects for girls and young women please get in touch on 0117 903 0444. We’re currently running #GirlsDoCode, a campaign encouraging girls to try coding in our free after-school sessions, and we’re involved in the Bristol Girls Make It campaign.
