Online Program

Saturday, October 22
Knowledge
Community
Influence
Sat, Oct 22, 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Salon 2
Speed Session 5

Inspiring a New Generation of Women Data Scientists in Austere Environments (303191)

*Samantha Lee-Ming Chiu, Independent 

Keywords: STEM, women, data science, development, programming, technology, gender, empowerment, community leadership, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ghana, Haiti

Women in the United States are a minority when it comes to competing in STEM. They are seldom seen as leading technical developers and data scientists. The environment is changing: education systems, government, and nonprofits have identified this gender gap. In contrast, the support for building female data scientists is nearly neglected in developing countries. The mission is to create a foundation, a network of resources, and a community for women to build data science skills. Most recently, I was on a team that built a community of female coders in Accra, Ghana. Developing data science among women in difficult environments will equip them to thrive in these at-risk markets. In turn, the women will be able to build internal programs to serve their local community needs. New skill sets and leadership qualities will create female leaders, leading to an improvement in their quality of life. Drawing from insights gained from training women in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ghana, and Haiti, the results indicate an environment ripe for data science, but with little resources to foster the advancement of this skill set. The model developed and lessons learned can be applied to many countries.