Unprecedented opportunities for women in programming
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the global software industry in a major way, with programmers coordinating the rapid digital transformation of virtually all industries being just the tip of the iceberg. 2020 and 2021 saw Aussie coders and programmers being pushed to their limits, with some even gaining recognition for their innovations at an international level.
Consequently, organisations and institutes across the country have been rediscovering their determination to see young people gain a foothold in Australia’s flourishing software industry, with young women in particular being a demographic that software developers hope grow inspired to pursue careers in STEM. The successes of Canva founder Melanie Perkins and Literatu’s Lidija Loridon amongst other notable Australian female programmers and software developers, have in turn inspired a new generation of female iOS developers and computer programmers to emerge.
The advantages of hiring female programmers will continue to be experienced in 2022 by not just software development agencies but also companies operating in a wealth of other industries. We’ll be taking a look at some of the most compelling positive impacts that the advancement of women in coding will hold on Australian industry below.
Female programmers providing diverse perspectives
Over the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has raised some novel challenges for programmers and computer scientists across the globe. Alongside finding digital alternatives for our everyday processes on a time-sensitive basis – from shopping and banking online, to developing digital learning resources for a myriad of teaching disciplines -, programmers have also been tasked with the monolithic responsibility of effectively staying on-call throughout national lockdowns as a means of combating software bugs, systems crashing due to high user traffic, and spikes of hacking and other forms of cyber crime over COVID lockdowns.
These issues have demonstrated an incredible potential to wreak havoc on all facets of modern living, both during the pandemic as well as prior to COVID ever hitting Australian shores. In fact, the ever-expanding influx of software bugs is used by budding programmers as an opportunity to work in the industry (with the highly lucrative task often referred to as ‘bug bounties’) and gain real-world experience with both developing as well as maintaining software.
Seasoned software developers agree, however, that the best defence against these routine issues and the elevated threat of cyber crimes inspired by the pandemic, is a dynamic and varied approach. Coming at a problem from multiple angles can be taught by working extensively on bug bounties, but it can also be attained by using collaborative teamwork with a diverse group of programmers.
As software development is by nature such an expansive discipline which is best explored through deep and focused independent study, a development team that’s made up of programmers who have worked on their own unique, individual projects, is likely to be a more adaptable team that one comprised of programmers who studied at the same institute. Just as male programmers may be accustomed to tackling a problem using one methodology, female programmers may be able to present an alternative perspective. The end result is a dynamic solution, and in the long term, significantly less funds allocated towards reactive cybersecurity measures.
Developing sustainable and inclusive workplace cultures
Naturally, the immense pressure and sporadic work schedules that programmers experienced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic culminated in many professionals experiencing burnout. This in turn, prompted many developers across the globe to leave their professional positions, retreating from the industry entirely or opting to work in smaller, less demanding roles. Dubbed the Great Resignation, this mass phenomenon in itself has spearheaded some serious changes to the landscape of the software industry.
Transnational companies equipped with their own development teams have turned their attention towards emerging programmers, investing more in young graduates over established professionals, and advertising more vacant positions than ever before. This has further prompted many development professionals to adopt the construct of diverse and varied development teams over sole developers.
Government bodies like Australia’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency (or WGEA) have also provided organisations with resources outlining the extensive advantages of these diverse teams, both in providing alternate perspectives, but also in boosting the overall inclusivity and sustainability of that organisation itself. A workplace that reflects the diversity of its surrounds, is more likely to attract the attention of young graduates, and subsequently develop its own driven and highly engaged workforce.
Female programmers play an essential role in the formation of these workforces, as findings from the WGEA and other bodies all demonstrate that organisations with gender equality and equal representation of both men and women, consistently deliver high employee satisfaction rates as well as lower turnover rates than organisations with a poorer gender equality rating.
STEM skills to be added to school curriculums across Australia
Finally, it’s worth noting that women in coding is not a new concept by any means. In fact, female coders have played vital roles in some of humanity’s most groundbreaking modern achievements, including the Apollo moon landing, a project on which renowned programmer Margaret Hamilton acted as lead software developer.
In a contemporary and more local context too, however, Australia is home to many accomplished female programmers working across both the private and public sectors and in a myriad of industries, including game development. Young women have an abundance of both homegrown, international, and even historic role models in STEM, and so initiatives to introduce coding skills to the younger generation have a wide assortment of course materials to choose from.
Even government bodies are advocating for the inclusion of STEM skills-building courses into both primary and secondary education curriculums, recognising coding skills as integral in a rapidly digitising Australia. Both software development and STEM skills teaching are becoming increasingly accessible and attractive career pathways to many young Australian women, and it is likely that the Australian tech sector will continue to grow as a result, consolidating its place as an international player in the software industry, equipped with a highly diverse and adaptable workforce.