A new US doco, screening in Auckland this weekend, explores the shame around the lack of women in programming and coding.
CODE: Debugging the gender gap, a new film by American director Robin Hauser Reynolds, tackles why there is such a shortage of women in coding and programming.
While sexism and discrimination are less a problem in New Zealand, says Jen Rutherford of the NZ Technology Industry Association, the issue of computing still being a largely male bastion is hugely relevant – and is having a big impact.
“I see no evidence in terms of people being turned away because of their gender in New Zealand. But I think there’s an issue of girls not wanting to work or study in what is seen as a male-dominated environment.”
Rutherford says getting more women into the industry is a key focus of NZTechIA, as a way of relieving the ongoing shortage of coders and programmers.
A recent MBIE report found wages in computer system design were double those elsewhere.