Girls Who Code is an organization working to close the gender gap in tech. It’s celebrating its 10th anniversary and setting a new goal: to reach one million students in the next 10 years. To kick that off, it’s hosting a code fair this weekend in the city.
CEO Tarika Barrett joined “News All Day” to talk more about the organization.
Barrett says that the tech industry today “is very much reflective of the priorities of the privileged few,” but that when women and people of color join the industry, “they become the change makers, and advocate for the kinds of tech that meets our needs and interests.”
She says women make up just 26% of those in the computing industry. For Black and Latinx women, the statistics sit at just 5%.
Barrett notes that when girls just see men in tech, they can internalize that message.
The code fair takes place from March 24-26. The public is invited to play, code, and discover computer science fundamentals. Plus, they can find out more about jobs in tech.
For more information, go to GirlsWhoCode.com.