Gabriella Grasso, Assistant Managing Editor of ELLE, signed a long article dedicated to the gender gap in the working world and the experience of Coding Girls interviewing FMD Director General Mirta Michilli and Educator Eleonora Arnese [see The Digital World is not a Clan for Males. It’s Time for Women to Enter the Magic World of Technology (in Italian)].
[...]«In our country, university and professional orientation is up to families in which all types of gender stereotypes coexist. Starting with the habit of telling a little girl who gets a bad grade in Math that she’s “not cut out for it!” However, a boy who gets the same grade will be told that he hasn’t studied, explains Mirta Michilli, Director General of the Fondazione Mondo Digitale and cofounder of Coding Girls. “In reality, when young women have the right access to information, when they understand that working in the world of technology does not mean they are nerds who will spend the entire day in front of computers. Indeed, programming is also a group activity and it is very creative. And when they learn about the many daily applications of programming, they start to get interested in it. This, in turn, is positive, otherwise everyone is investing time and money in the usual faculties that no longer provide opportunities. Instead, the technology sector has many well-paid and high-level positions, something that should not be overlooked for someone looking to have a family.”
Eleonora Arnese (23) recently graduated in Automation Engineering from the Politecnico di Milano and is about to begin a specialisation programme in Communications Engineering. She also collaborates with Coding Girls. «I’m doing it because I would be too disappointed if a girl who is interested in certain subjects were not given the possibility to learn more about them fearing that she was not cut out for it. There is no reason for the belief that certain subjects are better for males. Unfortunately, there are people who believe this. On my first day of university, there were only 20 women out of 120 students. One student came up close and told me: “It’s not for you. You’ll drop out in a couple of months. You won’t understand a thing.” I still remember that. Some say that my studies are arid, but it’s not about learning formulas by heart. You have to understand the reasoning behind things, and this is already part of a creative process, especially when you start looking for solutions to problem.” [...]
A declaration by the United Nations, confirmed by the European Union. It’s time to overcome gender stereotypes. The future needs women (and their soft skills).
Gabriella Grasso, Elle, November 5, 2020
