Decreasing numbers of women in computer science representative of a need for increased encouragement for women to join this field

The amount of women in computer science is decreasing

One of the reasons that the percentage of women is decreasing is due to how computer science is viewed. Linda Sax, a professor of education at UCLA who is researching the under-representation of women in computer science, has found that "the gender gap tends to widen during periods of expansion." When computer science is viewed as a "lucrative" career, such as it is currently, the total amount of students increases resulting in the ratio of men to women increasing.

Getting more women into computer science at a younger age matters

Increased gender diversity is critical for expanding the amount of personal experience and perspective in any given field, but particularly in computer science. By encouraging more females into computer science programs we can increase the talent pool and expand problem solving ability to solve problems present in the field.