Lawmakers Introduce ‘Code Like a Girl Act’ to Close Tech ‘Gender Gap’

Lawmakers have introduced a new bill titled the “Code Like A Girl Act” in an attempt to close the “gender gap” within the tech industry.

The Hill reports that lawmakers are attempting to introduce an act that would fund programs that aim to encourage young girls to learn how to code in an attempt to close the gender gap in the tech industry. The bill was unveiled on Thursday by Rep. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and was co-sponsored by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY). Rosen said that it’s important to encourage young girls to pursue careers in STEM fields.

“Given the ever increasing importance of computer science in today’s economy, it’s critical we find ways to break down barriers and level the playing field for women everywhere,” said Rosen in a statement to The Hill. The bill would see the establishment of two National Science Foundation grant programs that would be used to research how to encourage young girls to turn towards computer science related fields from a younger age.

“Despite the progress we’ve made, fewer than 1 in 5 computer science graduates are women,” Rosen said. “This disparity is depriving our country of talented minds that could be working on our most challenging problems.” The bill is supported by the Association for Computing Machinery’s Council on Women in Computing (ACM-W), a group that promotes women in computer science and STEM fields.

Jodi Tims, the group’s chairwoman, said in a statement, “This research holds the potential to address the long-standing issue of the underrepresentation of women in computing and complements the efforts of the many organizations that focus on high school and post-secondary women.” She continued to say, “We hope to see this legislation get bipartisan support in Congress.”