Computing Was Once Women’s Work

Computing began as a field dominated by women, not men. Early programmers were primarily female because the work was viewed as clerical and detail-oriented, similar to typing or office administration.

During the mid-20th century, the role of a computer programmer was often compared to being a human computer or a glorified clerk. Men initially dismissed this work as menial, leaving the space open for women to lead early breakthroughs. As software development gained prestige and higher salaries in the 1970s and 80s, the demographics shifted rapidly toward men. Today, we are seeing a major global push to rediscover the roots of the industry and close the gender gap.