Silicon Valley gender gap is widening

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Despite the rise of tech superstars such as Sheryl Sandberg and Marissa Mayer, Silicon Valley is still a man's world. Girls graduate high school on par with boys in math and science, but boys are more likely to pursue engineering and computing degrees in college. That disparity only grows at the graduate level and in the workforce where women are dramatically underrepresented in engineering and computing. Even those women who pursue this kind of technical career drop out at much higher rates than men.

A report released by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) is sounding a wake-up call for the industry. It warns that the gender gap in technology is widening as women are being held back by stereotypes and biases. "What we found is that not only are the numbers low, they are headed in the wrong direction," says Catherine Hill, AAUW's vice president for research. From college curriculum to hiring and retention practices, changes must be made across the board to encourage more women to see themselves as technologists and explore careers in the industry, Hill says. Women made up just 26 percent of computing professionals in 2013, substantially less than 30 years earlier and about the same percentage as in 1960. In engineering, women are even less well represented, making up just 12 percent of working engineers in 2013.


Silicon Valley gender gap is widening