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The 1^st Summit on Gender Equality in Computing, organized by the Greek ACM-W Chapter, took place in Athens, Greece on June 7, 2019. It brought together students, researchers and professionals in the field of Computer Science. The Summit was attended by 121 participants, out of whom almost half were students. All participants were inspired by the talks and activities that took place during the Summit, and enjoyed the offered opportunities for networking and sharing experiences.The programme included four keynote talks touching upon different aspects of gender equality in computing:

 

• Computer Science is Female, Yannis Ioannidis, ATHENA Research and Innovation Center & National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
• Very few females in Greek Computing Education: Why is the landscape so?, Maria Kordaki, Department of Cultural Technology, University of the Aegean
• On super chickens, red threads and small actions that can have a big impact, Geraldine Fitzpatrick, Human Computer Interaction Group, TU Wien
• Invisible mechanisms of reproduction of gender stereotypes in computing: Findings from the humanities, Aristotle Tympas, Department of History and Philosophy of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

 

The speakers provided a clear picture of the landscape of the participation of women in Greek Computing Education, touched upon some of the potential reasons why there is gender disparity in individuals opting for Computer Science and Engineering, and discussed measures, actions and steps that should be taken to increase the presence of women at all levels, not only in computer science education but also in academic and industrial position of authority and leadership. They also shared their own experiences in working with female colleagues and explained the importance of the presence of females in highly technical work environments. Some talks revealed some of the invisible mechanisms of reproduction of gender stereotypes, e.g. the role of computing advertisements in various media.

 

In summary, GEC 2019 was a successful and vibrant event. GEC 2019 aspires to contribute in bringing together and motivating young people of all genders and in setting the Greek ACM-W Chapter’s goals and forming the working groups needed to take further action towards the main objectives. Chapter’s main objectives are to promote gender-equal access to the computer-related scientific frontiers, encourage/educate women and men in an equal way to achieve their goals and utilize their potential in digital professions, and celebrate and disseminate the achievements of all computer professionals in a fair and gender-equal way.

 

Learn more about the 1st Summit on Gender Equality in Computing here.