How Ohio could help support women in tech

Gender equality in the technology sector is clearly in need of improvement. Although Silicon Valley and similar innovation centers form the epicenter of this issue, Ohio could also play a role.

Silicon Valley Bank’s U.S. Startup Outlook 2017 recently examined the problem using 941 executive respondents, mostly from the U.S., though the U.K., China and other countries also had some representation.

Of these companies, 70 percent had no women on their board in 2017, which was actually 4 percent more than those who reported the same absence in 2016. It’s especially notable because there had been a decrease between 2015 and 2016, so some might see a worrisome reversal happening here.

A new branch of a coding program could mean more opportunities for women in tech.

Against these trends, Ohio has some promise for women that want to pursue tech careers. Crain’s Cleveland Business recently reported on an expansion from the organization Women Who Code. This program looks to support women in the tech sphere, and is adding a Cleveland chapter for interested parties.

The source spoke to the new chapter’s executive director and Bluewolf technical architect, Nicole McGuire, who said that the group could help women face barriers in the tech sphere.

“It’s been a really male-dominated field, and women are easily outnumbered,” she explained. “This is a way to try to bridge that gap. Computers and computer science were always seen as something for men and boys in particular. An organization like Women Who Code can encourage women, help them network and offer role models.”

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