In the summer of 2013, I was invited to join a group of tech entrepreneurs on stage at Campus Party in London to present Rails Girls, a free workshop that introduces women to software development over a weekend.

My short presentation highlighted:

• Technology is trend: The larges companies in the world have a technology base and software and hardware products are a very important thing in our day to day lives.
• Programming languages are the new English: Knowing how to speak them open the possibility to access a secure job market with well rewarded positions.
• More men than women can read and write code: This creates inequalities in job access but also technology products that may not always consider the specific needs of half of the world.

To address this, some organizations, like Rails Girls, are investing their resources in offering free technology education for women. While these initiatives do not leave out people who do not necessarily identify as a woman, the programs and the outreach are designed to connect with these audiences specifically.

Rails Girls Brussels Campus Party Europe 2013 (2)