WTM Newsletter: International Women’s Day Edition
The power of Her: Celebrating the resilience and strength of women everywhere
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, GDSC VIT Bhopal celebrates the impact and influence of women across the globe in this edition of the WTM Newsletter, compiled and documented by the Women TechMakers division of GDSC VIT Bhopal.
About GDSC and WTM
Google Developer Student Clubs, VIT Bhopal is a community to facilitate a peer-to-peer learning environment where students grow their knowledge of developer technologies through events, workshops, and hackathons. We believe in promoting learning, collaboration, and innovation among students so that they gain relevant industry experience and advance their careers.
On the other hand, Women TechMakers is a global program initiated by Google that aims to create visibility, community, and resources for women in technology. It provides opportunities for women to connect with peers, learn new skills, and kickstart their careers through various initiatives such as meetups, mentorship programs, and scholarships.
Learn more about WTM and become a member to get access to curated resources and events about the global tech ecosystem.
Meet the Team
From Suffrage to Solidarity: The Legacy of International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day (IWD) is a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women around the world, while also raising awareness about the ongoing struggle for gender equality. The history of IWD can be traced back to the early 20th century when women in several countries began to organize around issues such as better working conditions, voting rights, and social and political reforms.
Since its inception, International Women’s Day has been a platform for women’s voices and a catalyst for social and political change. IWD played an important role in the women’s suffrage movement and helped secure voting rights for women in many countries around the world. International Women’s Day has a rich history of activism and advocacy for women’s rights and gender equality. It serves as a reminder that we still have a long way to go to work toward creating a more just and equal world for all in order to achieve gender equality.
Read more about the history of IWD and the Fight for Equality
Women at the forefront: Breaking barriers in technology and beyond
Let’s mark this International Women’s Day with hope and inspiration by honoring the achievements of women who have thrived in tech and beyond.
Parisa Tabriz is a technology leader, product and design engineer, and cyber security expert and has proven to be a jack of all trades as well as the master of them too. She has been working as an information security engineer at Google for eight years and is currently the vice president of engineering, responsible for the design and security of Google Chrome.
From Vellore to the Bay Area, Aishwarya Srinivasan has built a brand for herself as a Data Scientist at Google Cloud AI, founding and leading a mentorship program, and creating content on YouTube around Data Science, AI, and more- she is acing it all.
3. Perseverance with Percussion: A story about Evelyn Glennie
Evelyn Glennie, the renowned solo percussionist, is a name that almost everyone has heard of. She has won numerous awards and performed with some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras and conductors, including the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games.
From Marianne North to Miss Mary Kingsley to Alexandra David-Neel, these brave women and others like them went all over the world to prove that the desire to see for oneself not only changes the course of human knowledge, it changes the very idea of what is possible.
Inspiring without limits: Celebrating IWD with resources to empower and educate
#IAmRemarkable
#IAmRemarkable is a global movement that empowers everyone, including underrepresented groups, to celebrate their achievements in the workplace and beyond, while challenging the social perception around self-promotion.
Look out for these workshops from GDSC VIT Bhopal and get a chance to attend them soon.
Roadmaps
Everyone’s college experience is unique and probably not quite what they were expecting, but here is a detailed roadmap on how to make the most of it. Learn, network, and boost your career by upskilling on both personal and professional fronts.
Read more about the roadmap.
Opportunities to look out for
- Women Engineers by TalentSprint and Google
A 24-month learning experiential program for first-year women engineering students to become world-class software engineers. - MLH Fellowship
A 12-week long internship to gain real-world experience by collaborating on open-source projects. - MLH Fellowship Prep Program
In doubt about the MLH fellowship? The MLH prep program is a 3-week long program for everyone interested in the MLH fellowship by collaborating on smaller projects. - Google APAC Scholarship (opens early April 2023)
Google APAC Scholarship is awarded to women pursuing computer science for the academic year 2023–2024 based on each candidate’s strengths and achievements. - Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) Student Scholarship
GHC Student Scholarship provides an opportunity for women and non-binary students to attend the annual Grace Hopper Celebration, which celebrates women technologists and their achievements. - Google Summer of Code 2023
GSoC provides opportunities to contribute to open-source projects, and gain real-time experience in collaborating with organizations during the summer. - Harvard WeCode Tech Fellow (opens later this year)
Direct scholarship to attend Harvard WeCode Conference which takes place annually along with added benefits. - Outreachy (applications for December 2023 open in early August this year)
Outreachy is an open-source internship in projects ranging from programming to research.
Books
1. Invisible Women, by Caroline Criado-Perez
Are Medicines sexist? This book exposes and argues the “gender data gap”, that the bulk of the world’s data is based on male bodies and male behaviors. The result is a world that not only caters to men but often actively disadvantages women.
A great read that sheds light on how women live in a world not designed for them.
2. Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell
In this stunning book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of “outliers” — the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different?
His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing.
A good read for those who are inquisitive about the secrets of software billionaires and great sports players.
Podcast
Women In Tech by Espree Devora
The episodes feature Engineers, Founders, and Journalists all sharing their story how they got to where they are today. Every episode leaves us with a feeling, ‘If She Can Do It, So Can I.’
Women Telling Women Stories: Movies and Documentaries
1. Where The Crawdads Sing (2022)
Adapted from the book of the same name, this 2-hour movie available on Netflix is a sight for sore eyes- with every shot curated beautifully, it is a story about fending for oneself, and the love and family found in strangers.
2. The Great Indian Kitchen (2021)
Although this story is not being told by a woman, the story is about this one single woman who tells the story of every Indian woman to have ever existed. We realize the nuances of misogyny that we are brought up with and how it becomes a part of us.
International Women’s Day is a crucial moment to reflect on the progress we have made in advancing gender equality, but also to acknowledge the ongoing challenges faced by women around the world. Despite these challenges, the stories of inspiring women who have overcome adversity to achieve success and make a positive impact are a testament to the resilience and strength of women everywhere.
As we mark this year’s International Women’s Day at GDSC, let us celebrate the achievements of women while also recognizing the work that still needs to be done. By coming together to challenge gender stereotypes, fight for equal rights, and support women in all areas of life, we can create a better, more inclusive world for everyone.
To connect with GDSC, follow and reach out at our social media accounts:
Website: https://gdsc.community.dev/vellore-institute-of-technology-bhopal/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gdscvitbhopal/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gdscvitbhopal
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dscvitbhopal
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVr5tPwyUH8rJd5yEhBd94w
GitHub: https://github.com/DSC-VIT-BHOPAL/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gdscvitbhopal
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/qxRtCaEGRcTo get featured on GDSC’s Medium Page, send an email at: dscvitbhopal@gmail.com
