The Why Factor

Why aren’t more women in computer science?


Listen Later

The history of computing is filled with the accomplishments of women. But in the West, the number of women taking computer science degrees has fallen sharply from its peak in the 1980s.

In the developing world, however, the trend is going in the other direction, because learning to code offers economic opportunities not available to women before. Women are still outnumbered in computer science classrooms, but there are more of them.

In this edition of The Why Factor on the BBC World Service, Sandra Kanthal asks why there areso few women in computer science, and what is driving them from a field they helped to create?

Guests:

Dame Wendy Hall, Regius Professor of Computer Science, University of Southampton
Dr Barbara Ericson, Assistant Professor of Information, University of Michigan
Dr Anjali Das, Head of Learning, Centre for Computing History
Miriam Posner, Assistant Professor of Information Studies and Digital Humanities, UCLA
Noemi Titarenco, Software leader and product manager, Los Angeles
Fereshteh Forough, Founder: Code To Inspire

Apple Macintosh Commercial – 1984 produced by Fairbanks Films

Image: A woman studies a computer screen (Credit: Getty Images)

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Why FactorBy BBC World Service

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

182 ratings


More shows like The Why Factor

View all
Stuff You Should Know by iHeartPodcasts

Stuff You Should Know

78,688 Listeners

TED Talks Daily by TED

TED Talks Daily

11,099 Listeners

99% Invisible by Roman Mars

99% Invisible

26,242 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,913 Listeners

From Our Own Correspondent by BBC Radio 4

From Our Own Correspondent

376 Listeners

More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

863 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,067 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,576 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,808 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,729 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,018 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,952 Listeners

The Naked Scientists Podcast by The Naked Scientists

The Naked Scientists Podcast

599 Listeners

Discovery by BBC World Service

Discovery

965 Listeners

The Audio Long Read by The Guardian

The Audio Long Read

841 Listeners

13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II by BBC World Service

13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II

4,186 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,245 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

779 Listeners

The Rest Is History by Goalhanger

The Rest Is History

15,506 Listeners

Unexplainable by Vox

Unexplainable

2,303 Listeners

Dish by Cold Glass Productions

Dish

780 Listeners