At Inspirefest 2015, Robin Hauser Reynolds discussed how stereotypes can leak into the psyche and become contributors to imposter syndrome, and how ignoring more than half the population will result in a huge gap between the number of positions available in tech and the number of people qualified to fill them.
Showing snippets of her film — CODE: Debugging the Gender Gap — in the background, Hauser Reynolds talks about the importance of including women on all teams, and of making sure that women’s place in the history of the tech industry isn’t overlooked.
Hauser Reynolds also discussed the sexism and abuse many women face in the industry, saying how knowing it’s an issue can stop women from even considering following that career path. She stressed the importance of male allies, saying that they can help to make the industry more inclusive, welcoming and supportive of women and other underrepresented groups.
Looking at solutions to the diversity gap issue, Hauser Reynolds turned to education, suggesting that early intervention, and incorporating computer science into school curricula, could make a big difference.