CODE: Debugging the gender gap
What would society gain from having more women and minorities code?
CODE: Debugging the Gender Gap exposes the dearth of American female and minority software engineers and explores the reasons for this gender gap and digital divide. The documentary raises the question: what would society gain from having more women and minorities code?
Tech jobs are growing three times faster than our colleges are producing computer science graduates. By 2020, there will be one million unfilled software engineering jobs in the USA. Through compelling interviews, artistic animation and clever coverage of critical moments in popular culture, CODE examines the reasons why more women and people of color are not seeking opportunities in computer science and explores how cultural mindsets, stereotypes, educational hurdles and sexism all play roles in this crisis.
Tech jobs are growing three times faster than our colleges are producing computer science graduates. By 2020, there will be one million unfilled software engineering jobs in the USA.
Expert voices from the worlds of tech, psychology, science, and education are intercut with inspiring stories of women who are engaged in the fight to challenge complacency in the tech industry and have their voices heard. The film aims to inspire change in mindsets, in the educational system, in startup culture and in the way women see themselves in the field of coding.
“Professor Claude Steele says it takes about a generation to change a stereotype. I hope to inspire our audience to begin that change. Change in the way our school system values computer science education; change in the way we think of a programmer; change in the way women and people of color view themselves in the tech field.” — Robin Hauser Reynolds, Director and Producer of CODE
CODE documentary exposes the dearth of American female and minority software engineers and explores the reasons for this gender gap. CODE raises the question: what would society gain from having more women and minorities code?
Computer code forms the foundation of modern society. Cell phones, apps, navigation systems, medical equipment, banking, movie animation — are all created from code. The more diverse a team of coders is, the broader their perspective on society’s needs. This can ultimately result in products that serve a greater breadth of humanity.
The documentary takes a hard look at the pipeline question in technology: why aren’t there more women and minority groups in computer science? What is stopping them from getting to the threshold? The film follows the various challenges faced by a new generation of women programmers and the ingenious ways they are using their skills, drive, intellect, and vision to disrupt the traditional, male-dominated tech world.
CODE looks to the past, delving into the history of computing to highlight women like Ada Lovelace and Grace Hopper who set the stage for the technology we have today. The documentary acknowledges that women have been an important part of computing since the genesis of computers, but have since been written out of this history.
The film is not afraid to ask the hard questions and does so with intelligence and a sense of humor, examining our culture from high (the views of former Harvard President Larry Summers on innate ability) to low (an app called “Titstare” presented at TechCrunch Disrupt).
A blend of personal stories, expert voices, innovative animation, historic discoveries, and moments from popular culture (scenes from Mean Girls) are complemented with a cutting edge musical score and bolstered by a strong sense of purpose. The film reflects the interconnectedness of the stories, the web, and by proxy, the shared vision of a new, more democratic community made possible by the inclusion of more women and minorities in code.
The viewer learns that the underlying currents which dissuade women and people of color from pursuing coding jobs and results in the dearth of minorities in tech, are systemic, pervasive and complex. Mindsets, stereotypes, clogs in the educational pipeline, startup culture, lack of role models and sexism all play important roles in this mounting gender, ethnicity, and economic issue.
