Cornell University recently announced that they’ve joined a new initiative dedicated to helping BIPOC women enter the tech field.
Launched by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, Cornell joins 35 other learning, lab and government institutions as part of the “Action Collaborative on Transforming Trajectories for Women of Color in Tech.”
Together, Cornell and the other members will address any disparities that BIPOC women are faced when creating their own pathways into the tech field. Core focuses of the project include designing research agendas, creating networking opportunities, sharing initiatives and highlighting the need for action towards diversity, equity and inclusion.
“We are excited to work with our colleagues throughout the country on this important effort to identify and help reduce barriers that are preventing valuable perspectives and brilliant minds from contributing to the technology sector,” said Éva Tardos, the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Computer Science at Cornell and contributor to the action collaborative per a press release. “By applying what we learn from this national effort, we hope to help Cornell uphold its founding principle of ‘any person, any study.’”
A new action collaborative launched by the National Academies and 35 other organizations will work to improve #TechEducation pathways and #tech workforce participation for women of color.
— National Academies (@theNASEM) December 21, 2023
Learn more: https://t.co/ITxRSZdsPo#WomenInTech #DiversityInTech pic.twitter.com/6l8tXuNnQz
The creation of the new “Action Collaborative on Transforming Trajectories for Women of Color in Tech” initiative comes after the publishing of the 2022 “Transforming Trajectories for Women of Color in Tech” report by the National Academies Science, Engineering and Medicine.
Through their research, leaders at the nonprofit analyzed the state of the tech workforce when it comes to providing opportunities to BIPOC women. According to the report, overall, there are significant disparities for Black women as they represented only seven percent of all tech employees.
Despite there being an increase amongst a majority of BIPOC women working at Tech Valley from 2007 to 2015, the number of Black women working in tech in San Francisco decreased by 13%.
Overall, the lack of support has had a significant impact on Black women, as almost 50% claim they feel they aren’t advancing in their position.
For Black women who have already made their way into the tech field, wage gaps also ensure that they’re paid less than any other demographic. Per a 2023 report by Hired, Black women make the least out of everyone as they’re paid $0.90 per every $1 dollar a white man makes.
The new report saw a widening in the wage gap as Black women were previously paid $0.94 per every $1 a white man was paid.
“Even when times are tough, we call on companies to commit to DEI hiring practices and ensure wage transparency within their organizations, regardless of legal requirements,” said Hired CEO, Josh Brenner, in the report. “In some markets, wage transparency’s impact appears to have closed and even reversed wage gaps. This is further proof of how important these practices and laws are to pay equity in tech.”
