In an effort to raise awareness and attract more women to this field, Sofía Morán, Carolina Rodríguez, Lucila Moreno, and Carolyn Symonds created an Instagram account where they share glimpses of their daily lives.
In Uruguay, women account for only 24% of those enrolling in engineering programs, according to the 2016 statistical yearbook published by the Ministry of Education and Culture. This data is reflected in the classrooms, and Sofía, Carolina, Lucila, and Carolyn experienced it firsthand.
They say they got together because they were the only women in the class, and that brought them closer. After a few years as students, they decided to attract more women and founded Techie Girls. “We want to break the stereotype that women who study technology are weirdos or nerds,” they say.
On Instagram, they share photos of what a college student's day is like: desks with laptops and coffee, study groups, all-nighters, class hours, and of course, outings and a little fun.
Through their Instagram profile, they’ve connected with people from all over the world. “Google reached out to us asking for permission to use our photos, and teachers from Mexico asked us to teach a Scratch course,” they say enthusiastically.
When asked why they think there are so few women in the field, they say it’s “due to a lack of information.” “When I started studying, I didn’t know what programming was,” says Sofía. “There are also a lot of people who think it’s a difficult major,” adds Carolina.
They all got into technology on the recommendation of a friend or family member, who highlighted the benefits of this profession. It wasn’t their first choice; they had initially considered studying architecture, communications, or even medicine. That is, until they discovered the Bachelor’s degree in Systems.
“When I came to talk to Helena Garbarino (academic coordinator), I fell in love with the program because it’s the perfect combination of technology, business, and creativity,” says Sofía.
There are several benefits to this profession that they weren’t aware of when they were in high school: high employment rates, flexible hours, remote work, and pleasant work environments. They also emphasize that this career teaches you how to think: “You develop logical, analytical thinking skills that help you solve problems.”