Abstract:

The number of international associations focusing on the inclusion and retention of women in science and technology is rapidly increasing. The existence of these organizations reveals a critical need to overcome the gender gap in computer science and engineering. Many studies have investigated this gap and proposed strategies to reduce it. However, applying these strategies has not always been successful because of multiple organizational and social factors. This paper analyzes previous research efforts in the field of computing and gender imbalance, and then develops a timeline of the history of women in computing. Additionally, the research explores the current situation of Saudi women through a case study of college students majoring in information technology. The study was constructed using the concepts and propositions of the Ahuja model. An updated model is then presented based on the results of the case study. Finally, the paper proposes a set of strategies to help increase the number of Saudi women joining the technology field. These strategies take into consideration the local context in addition to international trends obtained from the timeline.

Keywords:

Computer education, Ahuja model, barriers, strategies.