It has long been a stereotype that computer science is only for the boys. This is further enforced by the fact that there typically tends to be more males registered for such classes compared to women. However with all the advancements that we’ve made as a society in breaking down these walls, all of that has changed.
According to a report from Reuters, it seems that the Computer Science major offered by Stanford University is now the most popular major amongst women studying at the university. To be more specific, 214 women are enrolled in that major, snatching the top spot away from Human Biology which used to be the most popular major for women, which now has about 208 female students.
Eric Roberts, a Stanford professor emeritus of computer science said, “We’ve crossed that threshold where women feel supported and comfortable. What we need to do is not turn anyone away because they feel unsupported, and a vibrant core community with a critical mass is essential.”
We suppose this doesn’t really come as a surprise given the amazing efforts we’ve been seeing. For example there have been various programs launched by companies such as Google and Microsoft to encourage women to get into coding. There are also startups that want to make the barriers to entry even easier by offering free lodging, and let’s not forget how there are kits created by companies aimed at young girls to encourage them at an early age.
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