Did you know the first world’s programmer was a woman?

Did you know the world’s first programmer..was a woman?

Ada Lovelace was born in 1815 in England, from Lord Byron (that Lord Byron, the romantic poet) and Lady Byron. She is the person we need to thank for having designed some of the most important concept in computer programming. Not many know this, but in 1843 Ada Lovelace developed the first theoretical software algorithm, a century before the development of the modern computer.
And now, we live in a world where there’s a concerning rise in the number of women accusing tech companies of inequality and harassment.

How did we go from Ada Lovelace..to this? The tech industry is suffering a gender imbalance, with companies as Google and Facebook acknowledging how few women were in their ranks.

The tech world needs women, this is why we gathered some inspiring videos from our beloved TEDTalks that could inspire you as well.

Linda Liukas a Finnish computer programmer and ‘Digital Champion of Finland’, dreams of a colorful world of programming. She’s involved in a number of projects designed to teach coding to children, and to make IT careers more accessible to women. She wrote the book “Hello Ruby: adventures in coding”, to make programming fun and pleasant. Ruby, the starring of the book, is a small girl with a huge imagination, and the determination to solve any puzzle. And she is there to inspire all the little girls: coding is for everybody, (and it is fun!).

When Marianna took her first class in Computer Science, she was the only woman in a class of 30. Only 22% of Software Developers in the USA are women. Why not many girls study this science? Why do boys “steal” keyboards to girls?

What do nano technology and shoes have in common? Apparently, nothing. Actually, a lot. This is what Katrien explained in this video, where she explained how she matched her passion for shoes with her studies in nano technology. These worlds are not so far apart, and the intersection is way closer than we think.

Prof Dame Wendy Hall, a director of the Web Science Institute at the University of Southampton, says: “As we go into the world of AI, when people are designing algorithms that help us live our lives, it will be very bad if that’s all done by men. Social care, looking after kids, so many aspects of our lives. We really need as many people as possible doing this. It’s really important and it’s going to get more important.”
Don’t you think we are all in need for more Ada Lovelace in the world?