Recognizing and Celebrating Women in Technology

March is Women's History Month, a time to reflect on the contributions women have made to history, culture, and society. The technology industry is one area where the contribution of women has been greatly under-reported. In fact, some of the innovations that are the cornerstone of today's tech were developed by women.

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• Ada Lovelace is often called the first computer programmer for her work on developing a program for the prototype of a computer developed by Charles Babbage in the 1840s.
• Heddy LaMarr might be best known for her acting, but she is the person we have to thank for the indispensable technology of wifi.
• Perhaps fitting for a time when women were told their place was in the home, Mary Wilkes was the first user of a home computer.
• The contributions of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson to the efforts to land a man on the moon were only recently highlighted by the film, Hidden Figures.
• Radia Perlman developed the use of STP (Spanning Tree Protocol) which paved the way for today's Internet.

Because these women's stories have not been told, generations of women did not know there was a place for them in technology, leading to low numbers of enrollment in computer science and related degree programs as well as limited female applicants for technology jobs. To make up for this dearth of female talent entering tech careers, we have to look beyond (finally) publicizing the historical role of women in technology. Women in Technology groups do just that.

Women-centered groups bring those already in the tech field together to share the unique experiences and challenges women in technology face. They also serve as a way to continually publicize the contribution women have made to technology historically and today.

Being a woman-led technology company ourselves, GovEvents is proud to showcase a variety of women in technology events on our site.

• Women in Tech Virtual Summit (March 1, 2022; virtual) - This event will feature women from within the STEM field as they talk about the efforts and contributions that brought them to where they are today, and what steps need to be taken to further the advancement of Women in STEM.
• Women-Owned Contracting Trends for 2022 (March 8, 2022; online) - Learn about a variety of highlights and factors impacting women-owned contractors including changes to the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program and key trends in WOSB/EDWOSB programs and spending.
• Red Hat Coffee Hour Series with Dr. Moogega Cooper (March 8, 2022; virtual) - Doctor Moogega Cooper is one of the world's foremost experts on sterilization of spacecraft materials, working for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Planetary Protection Group. She is a planetary protection scientist charged with keeping not only Earth safe from alien life forms, but with making sure human's extra-terrestrial voyages don't infect places like the moon, Mars or even the moons of Jupiter. Join this discussion about space exploration - the sample return mission from Mars, and where her research will take future NASA missions.
• Women in Technology Leadership Awards (May 12, 2022; Reston, VA) - In its 23rd year, this event honors women tech leaders in government, start-ups, non-profits, and large private companies who are succeeding in their careers while also mentoring the next generation of leaders.
• IEEE Women in Engineering International Leadership Conference (June 6, 2022; San Diego, CA) - With a focus on mid-to-senior technology professionals, this event brings together STEM leaders from around the world interested in advancing women leaders. Attendees have the opportunity to create communities that fuel innovation and facilitate knowledge sharing through highly interactive sessions designed to foster discussion and collaboration.
• Women Tech Leaders (July 14, 2022; Washington, DC) - The future of the federal government will comprise a workforce that better represents the diverse population it serves, and agencies are strategizing on how to make this a reality. With women representing only a quarter of the entire STEM field, the calling for women technology leaders to public service is vital and urgent. These prominent women will discuss the solutions to challenges many technology teams are facing governmentwide.
• Global Gender Gap Report (white paper) - Another generation of women will have to wait for gender parity, according to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2021. As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be felt, closing the global gender gap has increased by a generation from 99.5 years to 135.6 years. The World Economic Forum hopes that this report will serve as a call to action to leaders to embed gender parity as a central goal of our policies and practices to manage the post-pandemic recovery, to the benefit of our economies and our societies.

You can find more ways to learn about and celebrate women in technology at GovEvents.com and GovWhitePapers.com.