Reframing the Gender Gap in Computer Science as a

Solvable Problem
Nazli Hardy 1, Emmali Montgomery1
1
Computer Science, Millersville University, Millersville, PA, USA
Abstract - The alarmingly low numbers of women pursuing
Computer Science degrees in the United States continues to be
significant concern. Because of such low participation, related
organizations have been considering potential ways to
integrate more women; however, it is the underlying general
causes and their sources of the decline that need to be
considered methodically from various contexts.
In
understanding the causes, we can redirect the efforts as a
solvable problem.

Keywords: Women in Computer Science, Gender Gap in

Computer Science, Attracting Women to Computer Science

Introduction

By 2024, there will be half a million Computer Science

related jobs that need filled according to the Bureau of Labor
and Statistics, and at the current graduating rate of Computer
Scientists, the supply is much lower than the demand [1].
Companies are so desperate for employees to fill those
positions that many are hiring fresh college graduates or
attempting to create more enticing internship programs.
Surprisingly, women have been found to outnumber men in
Universities, yet very few are pursuing careers in Computer
Science. The National Bureau of Economic Research states
in 2003, there were 1.35 females for every male who
graduated from a four-year college [2]. Comparing this to
Randal Olsons findings that show less than 18% of Computer
Science degrees are earned by women begs the question of
what is steering women away from technology [3].
A 2014 Google study [4] found that the four (controllable)
key factors in the decrease of numbers are 1) social
encouragement, 2) self-perception, 3) academic exposure, and
4) career perception. In addition, the study found peripheral
roles (uncontrollable factors) that also have a negative
influence in the pursuit of a Computer Science degree by
women. These include a) ethnicity b) family income, c) and
parental occupation.
For women (and men) studying and working in the field of
Computer Science, these numbers and accompanying figures
are not new. Having had the experience of being or seeing
only a handful of women in a) undergraduate and graduate
classes (which were taught by mostly men) and b) in the

workplace, the numbers while unsurprising continue to be

problematic.
Through training, Computer Scientists are taught to problem
solve and to do so in the most efficient manner possible. To
Computer Scientists, the world of possibilities lies in the
problems that can be solved, logically and systematically;
however, to people outside the realm of technology, it is not
clear at all what Computer Scientists do or what Computer
Science is.
That is a problem because the vague
understanding of what computer science is and what computer
scientists do feed directly to the four key factors identified in
the Google study.

The Career Landscape for Women

and Motivating Factors

In 2014, the fields in which there were more than 75%

women employed in the US [4] were secretaries, elementary &
middle school teachers, nurses, psychiatric and home health
aides, receptionists, office clerks, maids and housekeeping,
social workers, secondary school teachers, personal care aides,
waitresses, teaching assistants, preschool and kindergarten
teachers.
A 2012 Wall Street Journal [5] indicated that
"women account for a third of the nation's lawyers and
doctors, a major and positive shift from a generation ago."
The presence and popularity for women in the
aforementioned careers could be functions of opportunities
available, and also the built-in bias in recruitment in a male
dominated workforce over the years. But from a pragmatic
perspective, we can consider what these occupations have in
common.
1) There is a clear perception regarding the
aforementioned careers. People and media have a
comfortable summary understanding of what teachers
do, what nurses and doctors do, what administrative
assistants do, what lawyers do. Women have been
pigeon-holed into these professions.
2) There is a sense of manageability of hours which
would allow women to have it all (an income, a
career, independence, while also being able to nurture
a functional household/ family.)
3) Counselors, parents, and mentors are able to give
social, academic, professional exposure, guidance

and encouragement to students interested in pursuing

these careers.

precollege female students, and their circle of influence

(counselors, peers, parents).

4) Each of the professions is useful and necessary in

everyday life, and they involve meaningful social and
human interaction.

Part II: The authors conducted a survey of a wide range of

people as a means of gauging their perceptions and unresearched understanding of what computer scientists do, and
what computer science is, in general. We asked each
respondent to give us their immediate and un-researched
answers.

3 The Solvable Parts of the Problem

Part I: A study on adolescent (teenagers indicative of a precollege age-group) girls has shown that girls reported greater
likability and similarity to the self for women in appearancefocused occupations compared with women in nonappearance-focused occupations [10]. The girls were shown
photographs of appearance-based career women (model Heidi
Klum and actress Jennifer Anniston) and non-appearance
based career women (CEO Carly Fiorina, and military pilot
Sarah Deal Burrow). The girls rated women in appearancefocused photos as more competent than the other women.
However, the study also found that the same teenage girls
found CEOs and military pilots to be better role models. The
research also concluded from the findings that girls know they
should look up to female doctors and scientists, but they also
know that women in appearance-focused jobs get rewarded by
society. It is therefore reasonable to think they would prefer
women in those jobs. What is encouraging is that the finding
also showed that there is an interest and hunger for a more
diverse image of working women in media and advertising.
An additional study found that image search results for
occupations slightly exaggerate gender stereotypes and portray
the minority gender for an occupational less professionally
[6]. To address these concerns LeanIn.org and Getty Images
have collaborated to create and curate and present the Lean
In Collection, a library of images devoted to the powerful
depiction of women, girls, and people who support them. The
pictures in this collaborative collection are geared to depict
images of female leadership, and equal partnership in
contemporary work and life. [7]
Part II: In a survey conducted by the authors of this paper, we
identify 1) the lack of clear understanding of what computer
scientists do, and 2) the lack of clear perception of the field of
computer science, as additional components to the low
enrollment of women in computer science in the United States.

Methodology

Part I: To assess, compare, and contrast the images of the

profession of Computer Science and the image of women in
Computer Science, simple searches were carried out on
Google. In line with the Google study [4], the objective was
to gauge the perception and exposure of Computer Science
and Computer Scientists that are projected by online media to

Results

Part I:
Googling the words Computer Science gives us the
following image (Figure 1).

Fig 1: the images retrieved on 3/21/16 upon googling

computer science
Googling the words women Computer Science gives us the
following picture (Figure 2).

Fig 2: the images retrieved on 3/21/16 upon googling women

in computer science
These images are a visual indication of how computer science
is perceived and how that perception is further propagated in
the media, and funneled through and accepted by high school
students, their counselors, and guardians.
All images from the first set were advertisement styled with a
plethora of 1s, 0s, and various code bits plastered on objects
that generally do not define Computer Science at all. The
closest image was one that included a keyboard. This indicates
that society, especially those instilled with the job of promoting
Computer Science, have a narrow understanding of the field.
The second set shows a lot of promotional material for
women, further showing that there is a lack of women and
support for the field. Beyond that, it is just people looking at a
computer. There is nothing showing what the actual field can
accomplish, or that Computer Science and coding is a big part
of everyday life. There is nothing illustrating how code affects
people and that it is in almost everything we handle in this
decade.

Fi 3: the images retrieved on 3/21/16 upon googling

elementary school teacher (most of us have had one we
know what they do, they made an impression on us)

The images of computer science and a computer scientist

visually indicate:
1) Computer Scientists and Computer Science are not
defined clearly.
2) there is little relevance or connection with the pictures
to everyday lives.
3) there is no depiction of social or human interaction.
4) Computer Science is abstract and non-dynamic field.
5) Computer Scientists do little beyond sitting around a
computer.
6) there is a widening gap/ problems in the recruitment
of women in computer science.
As a contrast to the images for Computer Science and
Computer Scientist, the images for the careers that women
pursue, or in which there is a majority of women, showcase a
different narrative. Figures 3, 4, and 5 represent Google
images for elementary school teacher, receptionist, and health
care respectively.

Fig 4: the images retrieved on 3/21/16 upon googling

receptionist
(images of attractive women, which is
important to people)

a specific connection to coding, and computers, but there is

not a comprehensive scope of understanding of the broad
spectrum of meaningful contributions that is directly influenced
by computer science and computer scientists.

7. Conclusions
Fig 5: the images retrieved on 3/21/16 upon googling health
care (important to all os us, meaningful, we have interaction
with someone in the health field social interaction, making a
difference, prestige)

Part II
A random group of college educated, non-computer scientists
were asked the following questions a) what do you think a
Computer Scientist does and b) what exactly is Computer
Science. (The complete set of responses is in the Appendix.)

6. Analysis and Discussion

Part I: The images portray computer science to be a counter
to the images portrayed for professions that women typically
choose. The images are impersonal, abstract, (Fig 1) static,
and do not illustrate the varied functions of computer scientists
(Fig 2). In addition, the images generally do not demonstrate
any women in leadership roles, nor do they exemplify
meaningful human or social interaction.

The messages for

computer science and women in computer science (Fig 1, 2)

are in contrast to the more dynamic images depicting happy
women interacting with others in careers that appear to be

To attract women to Computer Science, a field we know

to be dynamic, progressive, meaningful, broad, flexible,
and impactful, it is necessary to:
1) define clearly what computer science is and what
computer scientists do, so that it can be conveyed to
girls in middle and high school
2) define clearly to high school counselors, and the
general population what computer science is and
what computer scientists do, so that they would be
articulate the field to potential and interested students
3) work with organizations like LeanIn.org and Getty
Images, to create and propagate dynamic images of
actual female computer scientists carrying out jobs in
computer science, especially ones in which they are
engaging with others (e.g. professors, filed
researchers, experts speaking at conferences,
working on rockets, building robots in a team)
4) showcase computer science as the field that creates
devices and programs that girls enjoy using and find
useful and meaningful to use (e.g. iTunes, Google,
apps, FitBit, computerized medical devices etc.)
5) redefine the field as one that, due to its pervasive
nature, allows women to pursue any area of interest
while also allowing them to have the family life and
social time that leads to a balanced life.

meaningful (Fig 3, 4, 5) like elementary teachers, and health

care professionals. Adolescent girls are self-conscience and
want a career in which women are perceived to be attractive
and thus likable and rewarded by society [10]. The abstract

6) invest in conferences that have females Computer

Scientists as role models and presenters. A model for
such a conference is the Women in Math and
Science Conference at Millersville University [8].

images portraying computer science do not allow adolescent

girls and their circle of influence (high school counselors,
parents. guardians) to connect with the career that is known to
be male-dominated.

Part II: The survey carried out by the authors confirms that
there is not a clear or summary understanding of what
computer scientists do, or what computer science is. There is

7) invest in courses (at both the High School and

College level) that give Freshman an example-based
understanding of what Computer Science is and what
Computer Scientists have done and are doing [9].

8 References
[1] Computer and Information Technology Occupations.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved on 5/9/2016.
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-informationtechnology/home.htm retrieved on 3/21/16
[2] Why Do Women Outnumber Men in College? the
National
Bureau
of
Economic
Research.
http://www.nber.org/digest/jan07/w12139.html retrieved on
5/9/2016.
[3] Olson, Randal. Percentage of Bachelors Degrees
Conferred to Women, by Major (1970- 2012). Wordpress.
http://www.randalolson.com/2014/06/14/percentage-ofbachelors-degrees-conferred-to-women-by-major-1970-2012/
retrieved on 3/10/2016
[4] Women Who Choose Computer Science What Really
Matters: The Critical Role of Encouragement and Exposure,
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[8] http://www.millersville.edu/wmsc/ retrieved on 4/10/16
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