Why I Started Girls Code Too UK
When I was 16, around the time I was selecting my A-Level subjects to study, I was being bullied. I selected my A-Level choices, partly by interest, mostly because I knew that the people responsible would not be in my classes. The subjects I selected were Physics, Mathematics, Electronics and Computing.
I had never considered a career stemming from one of these subjects, to me they were a lifeline into enjoying my education without the presence of the negative people who made the past years of my life unpleasant. This was the best decision I ever made. As it turns out, I LOVED coding… And I was good at it! From the second I sat down in my Computing class and wrote my first ‘Hello World’ in Visual Basic, I knew this was what I wanted to do.
As I progressed through my A-levels, University degree, internships and eventually my career, there was one recurring theme. Girls and women made up less the 10% of the seats in every class and room. Why is this? Why do girls pursue a different direction? Is it because, like me, other girls aren’t exposed or encouraged into it? It’s my belief that to get more women in tech, we need to start by getting more girls in tech.
…to get more women in tech, we need to start by getting more girls in tech.
I consider myself so lucky. Without the scenarios that led me to this class, I would be on a completely different path in life. I wouldn’t have taken a University course that I loved or have a career that I can’t stop talking about. It’s sad to know that plenty of girls with the interest and aptitude for careers in coding (or any STEM for that matter!) don’t know it yet because they weren’t given the push I got. If girls were exposed to coding, and they learned how fun and accessible it is, before they began the subjects that set up their futures, maybe we wouldn’t have the gender gap in the industry that we have now. It shouldn’t be left to chance, or the experience of bullying, for young girls to realise their potential in STEM.
It shouldn’t be left to chance … for young girls to realise their potential in STEM.
This was my inspiration behind Girls Code Too UK. When I started my first Graduate role after University, I, along with some incredible colleagues, created a series of workshops which we presented at a local school. It was truly incredible to see the difference that one day, and exposure to female role models, made to this class of 13-year-old girls. Before the class, careers in technology were considered hard, boring and for boys or students who were good at maths. After that day… the female students were designing new tech inventions, talking out how technology was going to make the world better and, most importantly, how they were going to help achieve it. When young girls learn that the unpleasant myths that surround technology and STEM careers simply aren’t true, they want to be part of that world.
I started Girls Code Too UK because I saw the benefit these sessions were doing. We were empowering girls to explore more options, but we also have day jobs which we love so didn’t have time to reach everyone. I knew if everyone gave up a little time, presented a session like this at their local school or community, we could reach and inspire girls all over the UK! So I’ve published the resources that were created from the workshops online and will continue creating more, so anyone can access them. So please, take the time to download and host a session in your community. Help us inspire girls to pursue fulfilling careers in tech!
Thanks,
Tori Tompkins is a Data Analytics Consultant at Advancing Analytics. She is the Founder of Girls Code Too UK and is passionate about bringing more young girls into the tech industry. Before joining Advancing Analytics, she studied BSc Cybersecurity and Forensic Computing at the University of Portsmouth and previously worked at Ernst & Young, Hampshire Police High Tech Crime Unit and Data Consultancy, Adatis.
