Cracking the Digital Ceiling Women in Computing Around the World

Is computing just for men? Are men and women suited to different careers? This collection of global perspectives challenges these commonly held western views, perpetuated as explanations for women's low participation in computing. By providing an insider look at how different cultures worldwide impact the experiences of women in computing, the book introduces readers to theories and evidence that support the need to turn to environmental factors, rather than innate potential, to understand what determines women's participation in this growing field. This wakeup call to examine the obstacles and catalysts within various cultures and environments will help those interested in improving the situation understand where they might look to make changes that could impact women's participation in their classrooms, companies, and administrations. Computer scientists, STEM educators, students of all disciplines, professionals in the tech industry, leaders in gender equity, anthropologists, and policy makers will all benefit from reading this book.

Introduction Carol Frieze and Jeria L. Quesenberry; Part I. Global Perspectives: 1. An inegalitarian paradox Tiffany Chow and Maria Charles; 2. Perspectives from the UNESCO Science Report 2015 Toward 2030 Sophia Huyer; 3. Field studies of women in Europe, North America, Africa and the Asia-Pacific Eileen M. Trauth; Part II. Regional Perspectives: 4. Socio-cultural complexities of Latin American and Caribbean women in computing Palma Buttles and Fred Valdez, Jr; 5. A gender perspective on computer science education in Israel Orit Hazzan, Efrat Nativ-Ronen and Tatiana Umansky; 6. Factors influencing women's ability to enter the IT workforce Sophia Huyer and Nancy J. Hafkin; Part III. Cultural Perspectives from the United States of America and Europe: 7. Against all odds Monica Adya; 8. Cultures and context in tech Sally Applin; 9. Perspectives of women with disabilities in computing Brianna Blaser, Cynthia Bennett, Richard Ladner, Sheryl Burgstahler and Jennifer Mankoff; 10. An interview with Dr Sue Black, OBE, computer scientist and computing evangelist Sue Black; 11. An overview of the Swedish educational system with a focus on women in computer science Sinna Lindquist and Ingrid Melinder; 12. Portugal: perspective on women in computing Arminda Guerra Lopes; 13. Women in computing: the situation in Russia Evgeniy K. Khenner; Part IV. Cultural Perspectives from Asia-Pacific: 14. More Chinese women needed to hold up half the computing sky Ming Zhang and Yichun Yin; 15. How the perception of young Malaysians towards science and mathematics influences their decision to study computer science Mazliza Othman and Rodziah Latih; 16. Of pedestals and professions: female software engineers in Tamil cinema Joyojeet Pal; 17. Women in computing education: a western or a global problem? Lessons from India Roli Varma; 18. Challenging attitudes and disrupting stereotypes of gender and computing in Australia Catherine Lang; Conclusion.

Carol Frieze works on diversity and inclusion in Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science. She focuses on culture and broadening participation in computing. She is co-author of Kicking Butt in Computer Science: Women in Computing at Carnegie Mellon University (2015). Frieze is winner of the 2016 AccessComputing Capacity Building Award and the 2017 winner of the Computing Research Association's A. Nico Habermann Award.
Jeria L. Quesenberry is an associate teaching professor of information systems at Carnegie Mellon University. Her research interests include cultural influences on IT students and professionals, social inclusion, and broadening participation. She is co-author of Kicking Butt in Computer Science: Women in Computing at Carnegie Mellon University (2015).