Breaking In and Reaching Out: Networking for Women in Computer Science

2026-05-07

AI Summary

This study addresses the significant barriers women in computer science encounter in building professional networks due to intersecting structural factors—including geography, economic status, language, identity, personality traits, and caregiving responsibilities. The work proposes a multidimensional analytical framework grounded in these structural dimensions and employs community-driven qualitative workshops alongside participatory methods to systematically uncover the unique challenges and often-overlooked obstacles women face in network formation. By centering lived experiences, the research not only advances theoretical understanding of gendered networking barriers but also fosters collective reflection and co-design within communities around inclusive practices. Ultimately, it offers both conceptual insights and actionable pathways toward more equitable, accessible, and supportive mechanisms for professional networking in computing.

Abstract

Networking is central to careers in computer science, where a globally distributed and diverse community increasingly collaborates across institutional and geographic boundaries, often in hybrid and remote settings. However, access to effective networking is shaped by structural and personal factors, including geography, funding, language, identity, personality, and caregiving responsibilities. Building on prior work, this workshop focuses on women in computing to examine lived experiences of networking and the barriers they encounter. Through a community-driven discussion grounded in a factor-based framework, the workshop aims to surface overlooked challenges and foster shared understanding. Ultimately, it seeks to inform more inclusive, equitable, and accessible networking practices within the computer science community.

Problem

• networking
• women in computing
• barriers
• equity
• inclusion

Innovation

• factor-based framework
• community-driven discussion
• inclusive networking
• structural barriers
• women in computing