Abstract

At the end of the 20th century, women receive approximately one-third of the Bachelor's degrees obtained in computer science and make up one-third of the Internet community. There are many female programmers, systems administrators, software engineers, and CEOs of software and hardware companies currently in the workforce. Regardless, the number of women entering computer science continues to dwindle, and those already in the field consistently report feelings of discomfort and unease. Taking matters into their own hands, many women in the technology field are attempting to create a more welcoming and gender-balanced environment. This paper will describe the roles of women in the computing environment of the World War II/ENIAC era, the pros and cons of modern-day "Women Into Technology" programs, responses and anecdotes from women throughout the 1990s, the female-only "Systers" e-mailing list, and some current media trends relating to women in computer science.


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