Women make up almost half of Canada’s workforce (47.4 per cent as of 2023), but within the Canadian tech industry, that dwindles to just 24 per cent.

Efforts to increase the number of women and gender-diverse people in STEM fields have been around for decades. Within Dal’s Faculty of Computer Science, for example, the diversity initiative WeAreAllCS was launched in 2017 to increase applications for tech-related programs from those who have historically been underrepresented in the field. While positive change has progressed, there is still work to be done — especially for those from equity-deserving communities.

It’s a tough nut to crack for Dalhousie’s Women in Technology Society (WiTS) president Madhulika Reddivari. “Computer science is a career path that is very male dominated,” she explains. “Women need to feel that they can also have a career in tech and feel welcome and feel like a part of this community.”

Powered partnerships

That’s why WiTS, along with Dal's Faculty of Computer Science (FCS), ShiftKey Labs, STEM Connector, and with funding from the Leacross Foundation, launched the first annual Women in Tech Summit in May 2024.

FCS and the Leacross Foundation have had a longstanding partnership, with the not-for-profit gifting more than $400,000 over the past four years to increase diversity in computer science through scholarships and programming to support the attract and progression of women students. This partnership has evolved as both parties have listened to feedback from women students regarding what supports are needed.

One such request for support was to provide a safe space for women students to upskill, network, and learn. With topics such as self-advocacy, tips for interviews, panel discussions and upskilling breakout groups, the Women in Tech Summit created that space. Building on the momentum of WeAreAllCS, a diversity initiative to represent the full spectrum of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status, the summit is part of a multipronged approach to make computer science a more welcoming at Dal and in the industry.

Creating a safe space

“The real benefits of a summit like this are that women get to see themselves in their peers and identify and connect with representative role models,” says Dr. Angela Siegel, assistant dean, academic outreach in the Faculty of Computer Science. “These women know the feeling of being two out of 10. This summit was such a wonderful contrast.”

Reddivari agrees that the atmosphere is a big part of the event’s success. “These upskilling events and workshops are helpful because they put you on the spot in a safe environment,” she says. “Nobody's judging you, and we’re all learning.”

Emily Fenton, manager of ShiftKey Labs, a partner in this year’s summit, says the event’s emphasis on upskilling is important framing for a lot of students. She says many employers have initiatives to hire women, but often with the caveat “when all else is equal.”

Fenton says if men are receiving extra training, women should too. “Finding time to do that upskilling maybe doesn't always seem like a priority,” she acknowledges. “But it's a competitive job market and sometimes you need things on your resume that prove you're willing to learn.”

Summit’s benefits extend beyond Dal

Around 50 women-identifying and non-binary undergraduate and graduate students attended the inaugural event. Most attendees were Dal students, but some travelled from as far away as Cape Breton to attend the summit. “A few students from Cape Breton University shared that this was a first event of this kind that they had been to, and that they were thrilled to be surrounded by so many women in their field,” says Dr. Siegel.

Other attendees came from the Matrix CODE program through ONE North End, a grassroots organization that helps African Nova Scotians who face barriers to employment learn programming and software development skills. Dalhousie offers an open-credit course to Matrix CODE participants, which covers the basics of computer programming, including designing, writing and testing programs and creating algorithms to solve simple problems.

“Computer science is the future,” says Reddivari. “You can do so much with tech — health, sports, anything! It’s exciting to think of the apps and things women and non-binary people will come up with.”

From L-R: Rawan Morshed, Sarah Morshed, Fariha Zerin Rabita, Carla Heggie