The University of British Columbia launched a major project this
month to increase the participation of B.C. women in information
technology careers.
Called SWIFT (Supporting Women in InFormation Technology), the
project stems from research undertaken by Prof. Maria Klawe who
was recently named to the IBM/Natural Sciences and Engineering Research
Council (NSERC) Chair for Women in Science and Engineering at UBC.
As one of five chairs established by NSERC across the country,
Klawe will focus on building a provincial action network for B.C.
that will bring together schools, post-secondary institutions, industry,
government, community organizations and the media to address educational
and cultural factors that discourage women from entering and succeeding
in the information technology field.
“There are many cultural reasons for lower participation rates
of women in this employment sector,” Klawe says. “Perhaps the most
important is society’s `computer nerd’ image of information technology
professionals.
“Most people think of these professionals as socially challenged
individuals who learned to program before puberty and who spend
their adult lives alone programming in darkened rooms. This image
is reinforced by the macho computer culture found in many high school
and university computer labs. As a result, most females do not see
themselves as wanting, or being capable of, a successful career
in information technology.”
Klawe, who is also UBC’s vice-president, Student and Academic Services,
will work with existing educational programs as well as with other
groups involved in similar or related initiatives across North America.
An important component of the SWIFT project is Klawe’s E-GEMS research.
E-GEMS (Electronic Games for Education in Math and Sciences), created
in 1992 by Klawe, brings together researchers in computer science,
mathematics, education and creative arts, with teachers, students
and game developers to investigate how electronic games and other
interactive multimedia activities can be used to improve math and
science learning and motivation for girls and boys.
The SWIFT project will operate with a $1-million budget over five
years.
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