International Girls in IT Day; how can we get more girls into tech?

As tomorrow marks International Girls in IT Day, for this week’s blog we’re taking a look at some of the organisations and individuals advocating for girls to enter the tech industry. As a level of gender disparity has always existed in our sector, it’s essential to continue supporting educational drives to get more girls into IT.

For International Women’s Day 2023, we previously looked at some of the pioneering women of tech, discussing our personal tech icons who have made monumental contributions to the industry over the past couple of centuries. With increasing opportunities for girls to receive educational support now, undoubtably we’ll soon be looking at the next generation of inspirational women in STEM!

Why is International Girls in IT Day important?

International Girls in IT Day is a hugely important initiative seeking to address the gender gap in the technology industry - by encouraging and empowering girls and young women to pursue careers in IT.

Despite the growing demand for skilled IT professionals, women are still underrepresented in the field, particularly in leadership roles. In the UK, only 22% of tech roles are currently filled by women, a stark statistic that demonstrates the need for increased educational and professional opportunities.

The day serves as a reminder to girls and women that they do have the ability and potential to succeed in IT and other STEM fields. By celebrating the accomplishments of women in IT and highlighting the opportunities available in the industry, we can help inspire the next generation of female leaders in technology.

Whatsmore, diversity in the workplace is essential for creating a more inclusive and innovative work environment. By encouraging more girls and young women to pursue careers in IT, we can bring fresh perspectives and novel ideas to the table.

Which UK based organisations are driving educational change?

As a London based MSP, we’re always excited to see the increasing educational opportunities available for girls across the UK. There are several organisations based around the country that are actively encouraging girls to enter the tech industry, and providing opportunities for them to participate in extracurricular courses and sessions. Here we’ve gathered a few of our favourites that may be of interest to any budding tech experts in your life!

Code First Girls: This social enterprise runs coding courses and coding events for women and girls. As stated in their mission statement, ‘Our purpose is to eliminate the gender diversity gap and transform tech globally, through free education and employment for underrepresented groups’. They aim to do this by giving women access to coding specific opportunities. Since starting up, Code First Girls have already grown a community of over 110 thousand women!

Stemettes: The Stemettes is an organisation that aims to inspire and support young women in pursuing careers more widely in STEM fields. They offer events, workshops, and mentoring opportunities to girls aged 5-25, offering intersectional programmes to get women into the industry. In their 10 years of existence, over 50 thousand young people have participated in Stemettes courses.

Girls Who Code UK: Girls Who Code is a wider international organisation that aims to close the gender gap in technology by teaching girls to code and providing them with skills and confidence to pursue careers in tech. They offer after-school clubs, summer camps, and other programs to girls aged 11-18, having a UK specific branch that is active around the country.

Ada National College for Digital Skills: Ada is a college that offers courses in digital skills and entrepreneurship for women. The amazing work this organisation does has recently been recognised with The King’s Award for Enterprise (Promoting Opportunity)! In their own words, Ada ‘offers a career-catapulting, industry focused education that is free to attend. If you’re excited about entering the games design industry, creating apps that change lives or building technologies that help grow industries, then Ada is the perfect institution for you'.

Getting Involved in Cybersecurity

All the organisations we’ve highlighted have brilliant schemes and courses that girls can participate in, providing them with better prospects in the tech industry. However, one particularly exciting government backed scheme is the ‘CyberFirst Girls Competition’ - a competition with a cybersecurity focus!

The CyberFirst Girls competition is a nationwide scheme designed to encourage girls aged 12-13 to develop their skills and interest in cybersecurity. Since 2017, the scheme has been run by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which is a branch of the UK’s intelligence agency, GCHQ. The NCSC is an organisation that will be familiar to many businesses - providing guidance and certification in all issues related to cybersecurity in the UK.

The competition involves teams of up to four girls (in their first year of secondary school) competing against each other in a series of online cybersecurity challenges. These challenges cover a range of topics such as logic, cryptography, networking, and cyber threats - designed to be both educational and fun. The winning team from each of the regional heats goes on to compete in the national final before getting to attend a grand prize giving dinner and day of celebration.

As an MSP with a strong focus on cybersecurity, we thinks it’s exciting to see growing opportunities for young women with an interest in tech to explore cybersecurity at school!

If these initiatives have sparked your interest in all things tech and IT, then don’t hesitate to contact one of our team today.