Increasing diversity in the technology industry is something that has gone from discussion to action in recent years. In 1985, 37 percent of computer science graduates were women. That number has continued to decline over the years, with women now earning only 18 percent of today’s computer science degrees according to National Center for Education Statistics.
A recent study conducted by Bitergia’s Daniel Izquierdo Cortázar presented at OpenStack Austin 2016 found that women comprise 11 percent of the OpenStack community, representing only a .5 percent increase since 2011. Women contributed 9 percent of the commits to OpenStack, up from the previous average of 6.8 percent since 2011.
Changing these numbers requires not only for women to participate in these communities, but for those in positions of power and privilege to make room for women in tech, trust their skills, and allow them to lead.
Read more at The New Stack
