The Coding Girls experience in the book ‘No One Left Out of the Code’
The little girl who mainly plays with dolls may grow up to be the woman her partner excludes from managing the home automation technology, jeopardising her independence and safety: certain small attitudes and acts of domination are warning signs of a ‘glass ceiling’ yet to be shattered.
Artificial intelligence, as it is currently conceived, risks perpetuating the gap. Too many biases limit the possibility of fully representing gender diversity, as demonstrated by the so-called ‘adoption gap’. Women use AI 20 per cent less than men. But what keeps girls away from technology? The tendency to use it less at home compared to men, who from childhood are encouraged to show curiosity towards video games and electronic devices, but also lower self-esteem and poorer pay for girls when they start working.
All of this contributes to greater difficulty in embracing technological innovations and changes. It is no surprise that it becomes difficult to ‘trust’ AI, which is, in fact, one of the game-changers in the world of work. Because those who master it will have a better chance of a bright professional future in line with market demands.
Numerous statistics, stories and proposals emerged yesterday morning at the headquarters of the National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN), which, together with Il Sole 24 Ore, presented the book Nessuna fuori dal codice, co-authored by journalists Simona Rossitto and Alessia Canfarini. The editor-in-chief of Formiche, Flavia Giacobbe, led the discussions featuring some of the book’s protagonists. Those present included Nunzia Ciardi, Donatella Sciuto, Luigia Carlucci Aiello and many figures from the business world [see the news item Nessuna fuori dal codice].
Mirta Michilli is also among the book’s protagonists, in an interview that explains in detail the equality model proposed by our long-running programme, Coding Girls. Speaking about the experience this morning was Onelia Onorati, from the press office of the Fondazione Mondo Digitale. The vision of Coding Girls & Women, shared by all the guests, begins with workshops offered from primary school onwards, precisely at the moment when girls start to form their first view of the world, and can convince themselves that “I can do it”!
