Girls In STEM

Tarika Barrett, Ph.D., CEO of Girls Who Code, has a stat that’s hard to shake: 70% of teen girls say they want to work in cybersecurity, and we’re losing them before they ever get started. The World Economic Forum puts the global shortage at 4.7 million cybersecurity professionals, and AI is making attacks faster, cheaper, and more autonomous by the day. The pressure on defenders is only growing. So who’s going to step up? Not the pipeline we currently have. Women make up less than a quarter of the cybersecurity workforce, and the drop-off starts early. Girls’ confidence in their abilities often fades by age 13, and once they disengage, they rarely come back. Here’s what makes this particularly frustrating: the interest is there. 🔒 70% of teen girls in a recent Girls Who Code survey say they are interested in cybersecurity careers. The problem isn’t desire, it’s access and visibility. And out-of-school programs are actually where the connection happens. A Girls Who Code study found that teens are 40% more likely to learn about cybersecurity careers through out-of-school programs than through traditional classrooms. Which is exactly why programs like STEM Gems exist. The case for bringing more women into cybersecurity goes beyond filling seats. Research by Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) suggests that female researchers bring strengths in communication, empathy, and risk evaluation, all skills that are core to a profession that increasingly depends on anticipating human behavior and social engineering attacks. And companies that invest in women? They see results. Organizations that implemented targeted practices like mentored stretch assignments and internal skills development more than doubled the number of women in management roles in an average of five years. The technology is getting smarter. The threats are getting bigger. We need a generation of girls who grow up knowing this field is theirs too. Read the full article by Tarika Barrett in Fortune to learn more about the cybersecurity workforce gap and why investing in girls is the most urgent move we can make! 👉 https://lnkd.in/ebxkbeut #WomenInSTEM #GirlsInSTEM #STEMGems #GiveGirlsRoleModels 💜🩷💙💚 STEM Gems has spent a decade putting girls in rooms where they can see their future clearly, connecting them to women in STEM who look like them and fields that need them. If this post resonated with you, consider supporting the work that keeps girls in the pipeline. Learn more about our decade of impact and donate to STEM Gems here: https://lnkd.in/ed-nJVsN

𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗮𝗴𝗲, 𝗻𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿, 𝗻𝗼 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿. 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲! 🦾♥️ #Technology isn’t just for the experts or those with STEM degrees. It impacts all of us - and to navigate this ongoing technological transformation, 𝘄𝗲 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 & 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘁! Because only through understanding, we build trust. As Deloitte Voice for Innovation & Tech Translator, I strive to make technology accessible, bridging the gap between technology and society, and between technology and business decision-makers. Some ideas to make tech more accessible: ✔️ 𝗨𝗽𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲! Every company has a #responsibility to prepare employees for the #future. At Deloitte, we’ve already trained nearly 11,000 colleagues with our 𝗚𝗲𝗻-𝗔𝗜 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲, empowering them to use #AI responsibly and confidently. 𝗨𝗽𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 for organizations committed to staying ahead. ✔️ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴: 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀! I’ve collaborated with the 𝗛𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 to teach coding in schools, because tech #education needs to start early. When I programmed HTML with young girls, they not only excelled but stayed focused - unlike the boys, who often got distracted by gaming. Early exposure is key to inspiring the next generation of tech talent! ✔️ ��𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲! To drive diversity in tech, we need more initiatives that actively include #women. Recently, I invited 30 women from my network to a robotics factory in Munich, where we 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿. Experiences like this empower women and give them the confidence to claim their space in tech. ✔️ 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆! We need more Tech Translators—people who can simplify complex technologies and make them accessible. 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 - 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴. Tech isn’t just for developers; it’s for business leaders, educators, and anyone who wants to shape the future! 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲’𝘀 𝗰𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗲𝗮! 🫖 Do you feel you already have enough #access to technology? If not, what’s missing for you? 𝘐𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭: Mirjam Hagen 🫶🏽

"You can be whatever you want: an astronaut, a physicist, a teacher, an economist," my dad would tell me and my sisters.    I decided to pursue the sciences at a time when there were few female role models in the field of energy. It led to a fascinating and rewarding career, even though – more often than not – I was the only woman at the table.    I was fortunate to grow up knowing that any job is a girl's job.    But, across the world, stereotypes and biases still hold too many girls back from studying science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).    And yet, we know that countries with more STEM talent grow faster and create more opportunities for everyone.    So how can we inspire more girls and women to follow their passion and take up the challenge? By:    👩🏿🔬 Encouraging girls early on to see science as a way to break new ground and helping them find inspiration in trailblazing #WomenInScience.    🔭 Breaking stigmas by making STEM fun and accessible, for example, through initiatives like after-school programs or online learning platforms.    👩🏻🚀 Ensuring that workplace environments and work-life balance enable women to thrive in science. 

April 4 marks the International Women in Tech Day, a moment to recognise the achievements of women shaping our digital world. Women are essential to Europe’s digital future. They are driving innovation across AI, cybersecurity and connectivity, helping to build a more competitive, resilient and inclusive Europe. But important gaps remain. Women represent only around one third of STEM graduates and just 1 in 5 ICT specialists. Since 2015, the share of women working in ICT has increased only marginally. We need more women coding and designing new technologies. If women are absent from the design table, inequality risks being coded into the systems we all rely on. Closing the gender gap in the tech sector could add up to €16 billion to EU GDP each year. More importantly, it will help ensure that the digital transformation works for everyone. A stronger Europe depends on the full participation of women in tech. #WITDAY

When I first started my journey in tech, I didn’t have nearly as many role models as I wish I had. And that’s one of the reasons I care so deeply about helping more women and girls see a future for themselves in tech. But representation alone isn’t enough, we also need mentorship, access, encouragement, and people willing to help open doors. For those who don’t know, I got my first cybersecurity job from the AnitaB.org Grace Hopper Conference, which is the biggest women in tech conference in the world.  My experience came full circle over the years from being a student looking for an opportunity to eventually attend to help hire the next generation of tech. That experience has shaped how I think about the importance of creating pathways for others. Throughout this, I’ve also had the opportunity to serve as the NYC Program Co-Lead for the Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program in a previous role and volunteer with organizations like Rewriting the Code and TechGirlz. I know what it feels like to be early in your career and searching for examples of what’s possible.  I also know how powerful one opportunity, one mentor, one program, or one person willing to take a chance on you can be. Cybersecurity and technology needs diverse perspectives, experiences, and voices especially in the age of AI.  And for those of us already in the industry, we have an opportunity to help bring up the next generation of talent. 🎉 Are there any stories of mentorship or experiences like this that have shaped your career as well? I would love to hear them!  🌟 Repost this post to share with your network 🌟 #WomenInTech #Cybersecurity #Mentorship

Europe faces a growing shortage of STEM talent, with nearly 80% of European SMEs struggling to find workers with skills in ICT, AI, and quantum computing.   On International Women in Engineering Day, we must highlight the need for equal opportunities for women to enter engineering and other STEM fields.   If Europe wants to close this talent gap and drive technological and industrial leadership, it must empower women and diverse populations through inclusive programs and initiatives – to strengthen innovation and reap the benefits from diverse perspectives.   Businesses have a key role to play in this. From partnering with academia or offering mentorship opportunities, we can create pathways for more women to enter STEM.   That’s why Schneider Electric launched the European Women Mentorship Programme last year - a six-month programme targeting female graduates looking into careers in engineering, sustainability and digital. We had such an overwhelming response from both our employees and from graduates that we expanded it to create 110 pairings. It’s about opening doors, building confidence, and helping the next generation lead.   But no single organization can solve this alone. We need bold partnerships across business, academia, and government to ensure everyone has access to the training, tools, and opportunities. 👉 You can also read my article on why digital skills are critical to Europe’s energy transition and industrial success in my article for The Engineer UK: https://lnkd.in/gz_Ngnpm #InternationalWomenInEngineeringDay #STEM #WomenInEngineering #DigitalSkills #Leadership

New research from London Business School reveals a troubling bias in innovation pathways: scientific work led by women is significantly less likely to be cited in patents. This means that fewer ideas generated by women scientists are influencing the technologies of tomorrow. ⚠️ That has serious consequences, not only for the careers of individual scientists, but for the very trajectory of innovation itself. Women scientists are more likely to research issues that disproportionately impact women, including specific health conditions. When their work is underrepresented in innovation pipelines, it risks limiting progress in areas that critically need attention, such as women's health. 💡 If we’re serious about building equitable and impactful innovation, we must actively recognize, support, and invest in the contributions of women scientists. #WomensHealth #InnovationEquity #FemTech #SRHR #InclusiveInnovation

Today is the International Day of Human Space Flight, and I want to celebrate the women who are taking STEM to new heights. These innovators’ stories are so inspiring, not just to me, but to our Girls Who Code community. Here are three women in space exploration to watch: Aisha Bowe – Aisha Bowe is an aerospace engineer, former NASA rocket scientist, and the first Bahamian American to travel to space. She is also the founder of STEMBoard, an innovative think tank and R&D agency that partners with organizations and government entities to create forward-thinking technologies and solutions. Christina Koch – Christina Koch is a NASA astronaut and STEM education advocate who set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, spending 328 days in space. She also made history by participating in the first all-female spacewalk in 2019. Recently, she was a part of NASA's Artemis II mission, making her part of the first crewed mission to travel beyond low-Earth orbit and around the Moon in over 50 years. Swati Mohan – Aerospace engineer Swati Mohan is known for her leadership at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. As the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) Operations Lead for the Mars 2020 Perseverance mission, she helped guide one of the most complex and high-stakes robotic landings ever attempted. When our students see role models like Aisha, Christina, and Swati, they see themselves in the future of innovation and space exploration. Their work continues to inspire the next generation of leaders to reach for the stars. #InternationalDayOfHumanSpaceFlight #TodayInHistory #WomenInSTEM #ArtemisII

Bricks or bits? The architects of the future.  Where do foundations begin? In steel? In circuits? These ladies are structural. Literally. 📌 Emily Warren Roebling: The invisible engineer who bridged New York. Took over the Brooklyn Bridge mid-crisis. Led teams, solved equations, defied norms. Built the future, one stone cable at a time. 📌 Dame Zaha Hadid: The architect who bent gravity to her will. Sketched curves before tech could build them. Raised steel like brushstrokes of motion. Built tomorrow, one impossible line at a time. 📌 Norma Merrick Sklarek: The architect who built while barred from entry. First Black woman licensed in NY and CA. Led skyscrapers, embassies, international teams. Designed a world that wouldn’t design her back. 📌 Yasmeen Lari: The starchitect who turned mud into shelter. Built Pakistan’s first high-rises, then left them behind. Creates homes from lime, bamboo, and dignity. Architects safety where disaster once struck hardest. 📌 Edith Clarke: The engineer who electrified equations. Invented tools to power grids efficiently. Solved transmission math no one else could. Built the logic that lights up cities today. 📌 Mary Jackson: The supersonic mind behind spaceflight’s math. NASA’s first Black woman engineer. Modeled airflows, shaped rocket designs. Launched spacecraft with numbers, not noise. 📌 Sophie Wilson: The mind that shrunk the computer brain. Co-designed the ARM chip's tiny code. Powers 90% of phones and devices. Built a processor the planet runs on. 📌 Susan Kare: The pixel poet who made computers smile. Designed icons for the original Macintosh. Gave software its first visual language. Built the face of digital interaction. 📌 Stephanie “Steve” Shirley: The founder who hacked the system, legally. Launched a women-led software company in 1962. Built Concorde’s black box from her kitchen. Coded the future before she could sign her name. 📌 Shafi Goldwasser: The cryptographer who proved secrets can be shared. Co-created zero-knowledge proofs, encrypted trust. Secured transactions without revealing your data. Built the math that locks digital doors. 📌 Cynthia Dwork: The mathematician who taught data to keep secrets. Invented differential privacy for big data ethics. Used by Apple, Google, the U.S. Census. Built privacy into the structure of statistics. 📌 Kimberly Bryant: The engineer who coded a movement. Founded Black Girls Code, redefined tech access. Trained the builders of tomorrow’s tech. Built a future that finally looks like all of us. Code or Concrete. What is the true foundation?