"The initiatives to get women into STEM are helping things improve, and I think teaching programming at primary school will really help"
In terms of my background, I had little knowledge of programming until Year 10 of school, where I had to do a week’s worth of work experience. With little prior interest, I spent this week of experience at a small games company. I was testing games, which I really enjoyed, and then one day I saw someone working on code – from then I was hooked.
I am very happy as a programmer, but I know a lot of women don’t really get involved with a career in STEM. I guess it’s not something that is seen as a ‘girly’ thing to do. There’s an idea of your stereotypical programmer, and this stereotype doesn’t really involve women. For me personally, I didn’t know about programming until I was 16. Across careers and university courses in STEM, there is a complete lack of women. Nobody has looked down on me for being a female programmer, but I am still only one of the few there are.
From what I see, the workplace for women in STEM is getting a lot better, though I have only been within the industry for the past few years. The initiatives to get women into STEM are helping things improve, I think teaching programming at primary school will really help in my area, and I hope women become more involved with careers in STEM.
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