This project is supported by the American subsidiary of L'OCCITANE en Provence.
Context
The gender gap in computting is getting worse. In 1995, 37% of computer scientists were women. Today, it’s only 24%. New research warns that at the rate we're going, the number of women in the computing workforce will decline to 22% from 24% by 2025 if nothing is done to encourage more of them to study computer science. The biggest drop off of girls in computer science is between the ages of 13 and 17.
According to the American Association of University Women, in recent years only 20% of Advanced Placement computer science exam takers in high school have been female. Girls graduate high school on par with boys in math and science, but boys are more likely to pursue engineering and computing degrees in college. The proportion of female students majoring in computing in college has fallen dramatically. In 1984, 37% of computer science majors in the U.S. were women. Today, only 18% are. That disparity only grows at the graduate level and in the workforce where women are dramatically underrepresented in engineering and computing. Even those women who pursue technical careers drop out at much higher rates than men.
Supported Project
In 2022-2023, L'OCCITANE USA supports the Girls Who Code association, whose mission is to close the gender gap in technology and to change the image of what a programmer looks like and does.
The association offers a wide range of programs aimed at supporting college-aged students and early career professionals (18-25) in persisting in their computer science education and succeeding in their first internships and jobs. It also propose virtual summer program for high school female students to learn coding and make an impact in their community while preparing for a career in tech.
Actively committed to inclusion, half of the girls they serve come from historically underrepresented groups, including girls who are Black, Latino, or from low-income backgrounds, in order to fight their lack of representation.
Some Figures
Budget 24,801 euros
