Ending the digital gender divide. Are coding clubs the solution?

Abstract

There is a shared lasting concern in both developed and developing countries regarding the low rates of participating women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). In this context, one of the most frequent actions is the development of STEM and coding workshops as a way to increase the presence of women in these fields. The main object of this article is not only to provide a description of the programs that support girls into STEM, but also to make a critical analysis of their design. This research employs the content analysis approach, a technique to make replicable and valid inferences from texts. The methodology sample came from a comprehensive review of 64 programs announced online that aim to support the incorporation of girls and women into STEM, particularly Information technology. As the final outcomes will show, besides the high popularity of these programs, there are important questionings regarding their design and implementation, particularly about the effectiveness of their actions in reducing the problems associated with the digital gender divide and the inclusion of women into STEM academia and STC industry.