History is dotted with stories of Tech Women – women who’ve had a profound impact on the IT and technology sectors.
Ada Lovelace, 1815: She translated the texts of the engineer Luigi Menabrea which talked about the Analytical Engine. Her own insights are what earned her the title of first female programmer in history.
Edith Clarke, 1883: Not just an engineer and university lecturer, she was also the creator of a calculator 
Grace Murray Hopper, 1906: Scientist and rear admiral of the United States Navy, she invented the COBOL programming language, still used in the administrative and financial
Radia Perlman, 1951: She’s dedicated her entire existence to studying mathematics
Parisa Tabriz, 1983: Security expert for Google Chrome, she heads up a team of 30 computer engineers and leads the fight against cybercrime.
Women and Technology: a complicated relationship
The data revealed by an annual report on Startups and SMEs, (Relazione Annuale sullo Statuto delle Startup e delle PMI) confirms that there are fewer women involved in startups than in traditional companies, even if they exceed their male colleagues in terms of language skills and educational qualifications. And that’s not all. According to the Italian Ministry of Education “Only 38% of female students choose to follow a study path in the so-called STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). This is an alarming statistic with multiple social, cultural and educational implications.”
It needs to be said: the combination of women and technology is still a controversial one. Women are rarely encouraged to work in STEM fields, and are constantly fighting gender prejudice. “Too often,” says Valeria Fedeli, the Minister of Education, Universities and Research, “girls are conditioned by centuries-old stereotypes saying that by nature, they’re not inclined toward scientific studies. This isn’t the case. …Italy is the country of Rita Levi Montalcini, and it’s full of female academics and researchers who overcome cultural resistance with their own passion and determination, and have made science their path for life and for their career.”
8 March 2017: a day for learning, and for strikes
So on the 8th of March, we weren’t just celebrating International Women’s Day, but also STEM month. Now in its second year, the project aims to break gender stereotypes and promote activities connected to technology and innovation. There are lots of initiatives all throughout Italy. And it’s not just schools who’ve gotten involved, but also big players like Microsoft, ENI, TIM and DeAgostini.
An example? Hi-Tech Girls, the laboratory geared toward girls aged 7-12 developed in collaboration with Siemens, which will take place on 11 March at Base Milano. Starting from an analysis of a STEM-related topic, girls will be guided in asking questions, gathering information, developing a hypotheses and formulating a solution by using the scientific method
The 8th of March was also a day of global strikes and resistance. It’s true activism that involved 40 countries around the world, including Italy, with the slogan “A day without women.” The goal? To cause significant enough economic damage by abstaining from work that women’s role in society becomes more tangible. It was a strike aiming to tip the balance of the powers that be, and put the need to transform relationships and narratives at the forefront – at home, in schools, at work and in institutions.
With loud voices, heads held high and arms linked, women are ready to say “enough.” One more time.
Federica Galeazzi
People Watcher, Marketer, Mum. La mia insaziabile curiosità nella vita chiede di essere accompagnata da altrettanto forte intensità nel lavoro. Per questo scrivo.
