El Periódico de Catalunya last Sunday interviewed FIB professors Àngela Nebot and Anna Queralt and students Marta Granero, Sara Méndez and Núria Canals who work at the FIB inLab.
At the beginning of Computer Engineering, women made up about half of the students in this field. However, four decades later, they represent only 18.4%. This trend, despite being significantly improved in the last five years, has created a deep reflection on the reasons for this gender imbalance.
A critical factor has been the change from a degree in Computer Science to Computer Engineering. This change seems to have contributed to the perception that women do not fit into this field. There are social, economic and family barriers that can deter women from choosing the computer science field. Another crucial issue is the need for better IT education in schools, with an approach that inspires and shows the opportunities this field can offer society.
Despite the challenges, there is reason for optimism. The Informatics students, Marta, Sara and Núria, show a growing interest in the field and want to contribute to society through computing. It is also encouraging to see that other engineering fields are showing more significant progress in gender equality, such as Biomedical Engineering and Industrial Design Engineering.
Despite existing barriers, there is hope for gender equality within the IT field, with efforts to overcome stereotypes and promote a more inclusive education that inspires more women to pursue careers in IT.
If you want to read the whole news: https://www.elperiodico.com/es/sociedad/mujeres-informaticas-sh/index.html