When Jennifer Lucifero, IT Consultant at codecentric, chose the path into computer science, it was partly down to chance. A happy coincidence, as she says today — but what does she mean by that?
Since Jennifer's school days, little has improved when it comes to girls and young women being shown career paths dominated by men. The hurdles and barriers remain high. At the same time, young people are being asked to make decisions about their future at an ever earlier age. The Girls'Day format tries to break down these barriers and give girls the opportunity to get a taste of career fields like IT.
Girls'Day at codecentric – bringing IT closer to young women
Several codecentric locations therefore invite young women to Girls'Day every year and give them an insight into the work of a software developer. Jenny sees several positive trends here: "Some girls come with no prior knowledge, while others are already engaged with computers and technology and are very interested." And statistically speaking, 20 percent of participants can imagine choosing an IT career after a Girls'Day. "I would be delighted if more young women found their way into IT – as an informed and conscious decision."
Women in IT
And what about the women who have already found their way into IT?
In Germany, the proportion of women in IT remains at around 20 percent. In diversity theory, it is said that a share of 40 percent is needed in order to create balance and, with it, equal opportunities.
Jenny can speak from personal experience about what this means: "You are often the only woman on the team, which is usually not a problem. But there are exceptions." As a woman, you feel the imbalance, for example, in being trusted with less. Women also still face greater challenges when it comes to balancing their personal and professional lives. Several days of training or an evening meetup – it is still predominantly a women's issue how to reconcile this with childcare. Time off for maternity leave/parental leave often leads to a professional and financial disadvantage.
It is therefore no surprise that there are more and more offerings and networks specifically for women, such as the Shevelopers in Munich. Together with colleagues from codecentric, Jenny is launching the Female Dev Club Düsseldorf in March – a meetup made exclusively by women for women. What will it be about?
Female Dev Club Düsseldorf
The meetup aims to offer a mix of tech and non-tech topics, e.g. soft skills for women. "Even at the first event, we want to involve participants in choosing the topics, so that a vibrant community can emerge."
And why will the Female Dev Club be an exclusively women's event? At the Shevelopers, for example, men also give talks…
The Female Dev Club is meant to be a safe space where relaxed, open exchange is possible: "There are simply things that women view differently. Women also often communicate differently. We want to create space for that." What else is needed to empower women in IT? – "I think it's important to create offerings and to be visible. Taking advantage of those offerings is then a very personal decision. Not every woman wants to make use of such a network."
Jennifer Lucifero (right) seeks exchange with other women in IT.
Regardless of this, women should be trusted with the same responsibilities as men and there should be equal working conditions and opportunities, says Jenny.
What would change if IT were to eventually reach a 40 percent share of women? – Diversity, according to Jennifer, brings more perspectives and a greater variety of skills. This increases the quality of results. And this of course applies not only to the diversity of men and women, but to all kinds. Many socially ingrained patterns still stand in the way of women's self-fulfillment today: "I love being a mum and I love being a software developer. That shouldn't be a contradiction. We need to keep working to ensure that both can be combined successfully."