The Shrinking Woman in Computer Science

THE SHRINKING WOMAN IN COMPUTER SCIENCE PATRICIA LAGO AND LYNDA HARDMAN

MY FIRST LECTURE @ AN ENGINEERING FACULTY

Patricia Lago & Lynda Hardman @ 2011

WOMEN IN COMPUTER SCIENCE

“Computer science (CS) education suffers from deep equity issues that hamper the growth of U.S. human capital.” [1] “The low numbers of women in decision making positions throughout the science and technology system is a waste of talent that European economies cannot afford.” [2] Among exact sciences, CS is clearly one of the most alarming cases of under-representations: •  In 1996-2006 the presence of women in science and

engineering increased in all fields except CS •  B.Sc enrollments decreased from 37% (1985) to 18.6%

(2006) [National Science Foundation, 2009]


[1] Addressing Core Equity Issues in K-12 Computer Science Education, Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology, 2010] [2] [Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, EU Commissioner for research, innovation and science]

SOME FIGURES IN ACADEMIA

In the United States (women) •  Nearly 50% PhD graduates à 40% in science &

engineering à 28% full-time faculty •  24% full professors à 19% in science &

engineering

In the European Union (women) •  Nearly 45% PhD graduates à 33% in science &

engineering à 18% in computing •  18% full professors à11% in science &

engineering

•  … and 58% of university degrees (students)


WOMEN ACADEMICS IN SCIENCE – NETHERLANDS


[Ambitie in beeld, Dutch Network of Women Professors (LNVH), Nov. 2011: update Monitor Women Professors]

7,6% more girls complete their studies

WHEN WILL WE REACH OUR TARGETS?


[Source: A.-M. van Gijtenbeek en W. Eefting, Ambitie in beeld, Vrouwelijke hoogleraren in Nederland, LNVH, 2011]

Percentage women full professors (in FTE): between 1999 and 2010 with an extrapolation of the growth until the target of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (15%) and of the Lisbon-agreement (25% in 2010)

13.4% in 2010

WOMEN CS PRESENCE IN AMSTERDAM (FACULTY)


81.9%

86.6%

90.5% 84.8%

100.0%

85.5%

18.1%

13.4%

9.5% 15.2%

0.0%

14.5%

0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%

100.0%

120.0%

PhD candidate Docent Postdoc UD/ Assist Prof UHD/ Assoc Prof

HGL/ Full Prof

% ft

e

Computer Science academics @ UvA

1995 man

1995 women

2000 man

2000 women

2005 man

2005 women

2010 man

2010 women

2011 man

2011 women

WOMEN CS PRESENCE IN AMSTERDAM (FACULTY)


69.9% 65.9%

81.0%

88.5%

71.4%

100.0%

30.1%

34.1%

19.0% 11.5%

28.6%

0.0%

0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%

100.0%

120.0%

PhD candidate Docent Postdoc UD/ Assist Prof UHD/ Assoc Prof

HGL/ Full Prof

% ft

e

Computer Science academics @ VU

VU 1995 men

VU 1995 women

VU 2000 men

VU 2000 women

VU 2005 men

VU 2005 women

VU 2010 men

VU 2010 women

VU 2011 men

VU 2011 women

WHAT ABOUT STUDENTS IN INFORMATICS?

Percentage women (higher education) in 'science, mathematics and computing’


[Source: Eurostat (elaboration of VHTO), http://www.vhto.nl/cijfers-trends/internationaal.html]

Country 2007 2008 2009 The Netherlands 16,2 17,4 19

Hungary 28,2 30,8 31,6

European Union 37,5 37,5 37,7

United States 38,6 43 43

Romania 56,8 51,8 52,1

Italy 50,3 50,8 51,4

Sweden 43,2 43,4 43,1

STUDENTS IN NETHERLANDS – BACHELOR (TECH. INFORMATICA)


Percentage girls ~4%

STUDENTS IN NETHERLANDS – BACHELOR (INFORMATICA)


Percentages girls fluctuate between 4,5% and 5,7%

OBSERVATIONS – ON CS STUDENTS IN THE NETHERLANDS

@HBO percentages are higher [colleague, NL] •  Multi-disciplinary programs explicitly targeting girls •  Less math, more society-relevant subjects Reasons (in NL) for girls not choosing beta/technical programs: •  Influence of the environment (parents, society lacks role

models) •  Negative self-image about own performance in (beta) subjects •  Negative image of Informatics (‘risky’ in Dutch society)

… and for Informatics also: •  Unclear about possible career/professions (either teacher or

researcher)


WOMEN CS PRESENCE IN AMSTERDAM (STUDENTS)


6.2% Increase of girls in the BACHELOR phase

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Registered students University of Amsterdam

Bachelor - male 94.8% 93.8% 90.3% 93.4% 92.2% 89.5% 86.6% 88.6% Bachelor - female 5.2% 6.3% 9.7% 6.6% 7.8% 10.5% 13.4% 11.4%

5.2% 6.3% 9.7%

6.6% 7.8% 10.5% 13.4% 11.4%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

100.0%

Stud

ent r

egis

trat

ions

UVA Students 2003-2010



2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Registered students VU University Amsterdam

Bachelor - male 86.8% 88.8% 91.5% 83.1% 90.4% 83.2% 87.6% 84.8% 81.2% Bachelor - female 13.2% 11.2% 8.5% 16.9% 9.6% 16.8% 12.4% 15.2% 18.8% Master - male 90.9% 80.0% 74.4% 83.7% 87.7% 89.4% 81.5% 88.7% 79.9% Master - female 9.1% 20.0% 25.6% 16.3% 12.3% 10.6% 18.5% 11.3% 20.1%

13.2% 11.2% 8.5%

16.9% 9.6%

16.8% 12.4% 15.2%

18.8%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

100.0%

Stud

ent r

egis

trat

ions

VUA Students 2002-2010

5.6% Increase of girls in the BACHELOR phase



11.1% Increase of girls in the MASTER phase

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Registered students VU University Amsterdam

Bachelor - male 86.8% 88.8% 91.5% 83.1% 90.4% 83.2% 87.6% 84.8% 81.2% Bachelor - female 13.2% 11.2% 8.5% 16.9% 9.6% 16.8% 12.4% 15.2% 18.8% Master - male 90.9% 80.0% 74.4% 83.7% 87.7% 89.4% 81.5% 88.7% 79.9% Master - female 9.1% 20.0% 25.6% 16.3% 12.3% 10.6% 18.5% 11.3% 20.1%

9.1%

20.0% 25.6%

16.3% 12.3% 10.6%

18.5% 11.3%

20.1%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

100.0%

Stud

ent r

egis

trat

ions

VUA Students 2002-2010

OBSERVATIONS – ON STUDENTS IN AMSTERDAM

•  (Overall) the number of girls increases (but very unstable) •  Percentages remain too low (20.1% max in 2010/MSc)

•  (VUA Bachelor) Lifestyle Informatics performs slightly better than IMM & Informatics

•  (VUA Master) only exception Bioinformatics (1/2 to 1.5/1 in 2011!)

•  Increases in international students (+28.6% since 2002) •  Mostly Master students •  Majority of girls


2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 International students (VUA) 3.7% 13.9% 14.1% 19.3% 16.5% 20.0% 28.9% 23.6% 32.3%

ON THE POSITIVE SIDE …


… searching for concrete actions is like opening the Pandora’s box

[Source: Wikipedia, http://www.mitchellteachers.org/WorldHistory/AncientGreece/DiscoveringReferencestoGreekMythology.htm]

THE WISDOM OF THE CROWD

We asked a number of women and men academics what works and what doesn’t … from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, China, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Iran, and the Netherlands…


PAVE THE WAY TO …

Some created circumstances to enable significant gender diversity in research and higher education •  Strong networks to attract but mostly support

>  At all levels, from students to senior leaders >  “Women@SCS ensures women have opportunities for networking,

mentors/mentoring, socializing, outreach, leadership and visibility” [Women@CMU]

>  “Networks should proactively engage to develop a culture and environment working well for both men and women” [NICTA]


PAVE THE WAY TO … (CONT.)

Target new generations (high school girls), show them they can do it, their potential

>  “some years ago an intensive program in high schools to attract girls to computer science. This resulted in ~30% more freshman girls” [Norway]

>  K-12 program in the U.S.


… INSPIRE THEM ..

•  By speaking their language


WHEN WE GET THEM, INVEST TO KEEP THEM TOO

Not just attract talents! •  “Since the program stopped, the number of girls went

down” [Colleague, Norway]

•  “Women overall progress at many of the country's top research universities has been slow, the gains uneven and fragile” [Lawrence H. Summers, President Emeritus of Harvard University]


CREATE ROLE MODELS …


•  Top Female Scientists @TUDelft

•  Fenna Diemer-Lindeboom @VU

•  Rosalind Franklin Fellowships @ RuG

•  Aspasia @NWO

… AND CREATE A GENDER NEUTRAL ENVIRONMENTS


“I vastly underestimated the problem. People tend to think that if there’s a problem, it’s with a few old-fashioned people with old-fashioned ideas. That’s not true. Everybody has unconscious gender bias. It shows up in every study.” [Professor at Princeton, from New York Times, “For Women in Sciences, Slow Progress in Academia”, April 15, 2005]

(After having introduced me to a female colleague) “As I am a guy, I will excuse myself from the conversation from here on :-)” [anonymous]

Good examples: •  Mentoring programs •  Automatic 1-year tenure-clock extension •  Guidelines for gender neutral nomination committees [checklist

VU]: remove gender stereotypes, clone-phenomenon

SOCIETY HAS A (SILENT, SUBTLE) INFLUENCE


China, Hong Kong

Malaysia

One of the largest IT companies in the world

CREATE INNOVATION

Some translated gender diversity into concrete inspiring actions


GENDERED INNOVATION @ STANFORD


TIME FOR INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITIES

•  ICT driven by- and shaped around people •  “Tackling societal challenges” first in EU research and

innovation agenda, Ø  this including: health, demographic change and well-being;

secure, clean and efficient energy; smart, green and integrated transport; resource efficiency and climate action, including raw materials; and inclusive, innovative and secure societies.

•  Creative industry, red life sciences and ICT in the top sectors of Amsterdam area


WASTE OF TALENTS AND THE ‘GIRL EFFECT’ ON DEVELOPMENT

“Investing in women is smart economics. Investing in girls – catching them upstream – is even smarter economic.” [Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Managing Director, World Bank, Washington DC]


FOOD FOR THOUGHTS WWW.NATURE.COM


[Nature 442, 133-136 (13 July 2006) | doi:10.1038/442133a; Published online 12 July 2006]

THANKS GO TO …

Anjo Bikker, Jan Bosch, Fenny Bosse, Victor Brilleman, Saskia Edixhoven, Jaap Heringa, Elly Lammers, Maryam Razavian, Dirkje Schinkelshoek, Peter Scholts, Babette Sluijter, Damian Tamburri … for providing data and support Doutzen Abma, Lydia Duijvestijn, Carol Frieze, John Grundy, Christine Hofmeister, Peng Liang, Anna Liu, Eila Ovaska, Femke van Raamsdonk, Maarten de Rijke, Mary Shaw, Marjan Sirjani … for giving feedback on women computer scientists nationwide and abroad Hans van Vliet and Jan Bergstra … for inviting us!


The Shrinking Woman in Computer Science

Education

presence of women

women cs presence

women academics

man2000 women

cs students

science netherlands

men vu

european union women