Google study: One in five girls in Romania studies computer science

The involvement of women in computer science is reduced throughout Europe, according to a Google study, carried out by Canvas8. Our country is at a fairly high level in terms of the education of young women in the area of ​​IT&C, the study identifying several barriers to female orientation towards the study of computer science and a related career. The study was carried out by Google as part of the company’s commitment to closing the gender gap in computer science, with the aim of finding out what prevents girls throughout the education cycle from choosing computer science in Europe.

Both the interest in computer science and the study in this field are reduced in European countries. Spain has the highest involvement of women in IT&C, with 28% of girls studying computer science. The UK is at the opposite end, with the lowest number of women in IT at half that of Spain. Romania registers a relatively high percentage (compared to other European countries) of women studying computer science – 21%, above Italy and Poland, but below France and Spain. Interest is at a similar level, which places us lower in the resulting hierarchy within the study.

“As the most recent EU Digital Education Action Plan reports, Computer Science is considered a fundamental skill for all young people,
alongside reading, writing, and numeracy. Beyond this, it is imperative that the creators of the technology shaping the world reflect the communities and individuals it serves.
For these reasons, we are deeply concerned about the global underrepresentation of girls in Computer Science. In Europe, women make up only 18% of Computer Science bachelor’s graduates and hold only 22% of all tech roles across European companies. This represents a significant loss of talent, diversity, and economic opportunity– to the tech sector and beyond,” the study authors comment. The difference between the genders is especially at the level of belonging to the field of IT&C and its understanding. Google’s study shows that boys are twice as likely to study (or have studied) computer science in school than girls:

• 42% of boys expressed interest in studying computer science vs. 24% of girls

• 19% of girls say they understand computer science, vs. 26% of boys

• 28% of girls see themselves in the IT&C field, vs. 36% of boys.

Differences also persist with regard to a career in IT&C: only 24% of girls say they want to pursue such a career, compared to 38% of boys.

“Computer science is a fundamental skill in the society of the future, and this study answers some essential questions about the reasons for the representation of young women in this area. We identify a huge potential for creativity in the field of IT&C attributed to girls, which is only exploited to a limited extent at present. We are thus making efforts to reduce this imbalance and increase the representation of girls in IT, from the education level to the career level,” said Elisabeta Moraru, Country Director of Google Romania.

“At the level of the Google office in Romania, we have our own program to promote IT education. Over 300 students visited our office this year to see what it’s like to work at a tech company, meet Googlers here and ask them questions. Furthermore, we run a series of online courses, in collaboration with AdFaber.org, where Google specialists explain to students how Google products, such as Cloud, Maps or Translate, work. We focus on attracting girls in particular to these courses, with the aim of encouraging as many young women as possible to pursue a career in technology. We have around 2,000 middle school and high school children who participate annually in the online courses, which we will continue and expand in the coming years”, added Elisabeta Moraru.

Why don’t more girls choose IT in Romania?

There are several critical factors for which girls do not choose IT&C in Romania:

• IT is often perceived as an isolated subject rather than a skill to develop: 17% of Romanian girls feel they understand IT.

• There are not enough role models to identify with, which leaves young women relying on media stereotypes to form their perceptions about Computer Science: 24% of Romanian students interested in Computer Science want “more role models to follow with which to identify on social networks”.

• Lack of support for Computer Science teachers, as well as adequate course support, have a direct impact on students’ involvement in this field. • There is a disconnect between what students learn in school and what Informatics looks like in their everyday lives. In the Informatics study, Romanian girls were most enthusiastic about: graphic design (49%), animation (47%), web design (47%).

• Parents are not close to learning IT: only 12% of Romanian girls say that studying IT would make their family members proud.

• Networks of friends and acquaintances do not provide enough impetus for studying computer science: 20% of Romanian students say that if “more of my friends did this” they would have more confidence in their ability to learn computer science.