A Historical Examination of the Social Factors Affecting Female Participation in Computing

We present a history of female participation in North American CS, with a focus on the social forces involved. For educators to understand the status quo, and how to change it, we must understand the historical forces that have led us here. We begin with the female ”computers” of the 19th century, then cover the rise of computing machines, establishment of CS, and a history of CS education with regard to gender. In our discussion of academic CS, we contemplate academic generations of female computer scientists and describe their differential experiences.