Klaudia Szyszka
Communication Expert
The history of women in technology
Women in technology have played, and continue to play, a key role. History is littered with fantastic women who not only helped to introduce innovative, revolutionary solutions for the conditions of the time, but who were also committed to mentoring and supporting subsequent generations of women. Their determination, passion and commitment proved invaluable. Here are the stories of some fantastic women who I believe have played a key role in the development of information technology over the years.
Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace (born 10 December 1815, died 27 November 1852), also known as Augusta Ada King, Duchess of Lovelace, is often regarded as the world's first female computer programmer. In the 19th century, she collaborated with Charles Babbage on the design of a differential calculator.
Her notes included a description of an algorithm that is considered to be the first algorithm created to be processed by a computer, making her a pioneer in the field of programming.
History is littered with fantastic women who not only helped to introduce innovative, revolutionary solutions for the conditions of the time, but who were also committed to mentoring and supporting subsequent generations of women.
Grace Hopper
Grace Hopper (9 December 1906 - 1 January 1992), also known as the "Mother of COBOL", played a key role in the development of computer programming.
She was one of the first people to work on translating machine instructions into a language that humans could understand.
Her work led to the creation of the COBOL language, which is still widely used today.
Margaret Hamilton
Margaret Hamilton (born 17 August 1936) is a software engineer who played a key role in NASA's Apollo programme.
She was responsible for designing the software that controlled the on-board computer during the mission to the Moon.
Her work was crucial to the success of the Apollo missions and the development of space technology.
Hedy Lamarr
Hedy Lamarr (born 9 November 1914, died 19 January 2000), best known as an actress, also had a major influence on the development of technology.
Together with George Antheil, she developed "frequency hopping" technology, the basis for modern technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Anita Borg
Anita Borg (born 17 January 1949 - died 6 April 2003) was the founder of the Institute for Women and Technology (now AnitaB.org), an organisation that promotes women's participation in information technology.
She also initiated the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing conference, one of the largest events for women in technology.
Katherine Johnson
Katherine Johnson (26 August 1918 - 24 February 2020) was a mathematician and physicist who worked for NASA.
Her calculations were crucial to many space missions, including the Apollo 11 flight that landed men on the moon.
Her accuracy and precision contributed to the success of many important space missions.
Radia Perlman
Radia Perlman (born 1 January 1951) is a computer engineer who created the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) algorithm, which is used to prevent loops in computer networks.
Her work has been instrumental in the development of the Internet and computer networks.
Fei-Fei Li
Fei-Fei Li (born 13 November 1976) is a professor at Stanford University and a distinguished researcher in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Her work on image recognition and natural language processing is crucial to the development of AI technologies.
Extraordinary women in tech
These extraordinary women are just a few examples of people who have made a huge impact on the development of information technology. Their determination, passion and talent have paved the way for future generations of women who continue to create innovative solutions in IT.
Thank you to all the amazing women in technology for your contribution, inspiration and determination. Let International Women's Day be an opportunity to celebrate your irreplaceable contribution to creating a better, more inclusive world, including in technology.