Women in STEM are an Inspiration to Us All

Have you heard of Ada Lovelace? She is the reason we’re celebrating today. Lovelace was born in England in 1815, and her work translating and annotating an article about mathematician Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine led to the development of the first modern computers in the 1940s. On Ada Lovelace Day, people all over the world celebrate the achievements of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

This infographic, created by Symantec along with our nonprofit partner Anita Borg Institute, showcases the accomplishments of several other influential and inspiring women in STEM. It also provides a short analysis on what progress has been made and what work is still left to do for advancing the roles of women in STEM.

At Symantec, we’re dedicated to developing a diverse employee base and strong future workforce in STEM. According to our FY13 Corporate Responsibility Report:

• 46 percent of Symantec’s corporate giving in FY13 went toward education, which largely includes STEM initiatives.
• In FY13, Symantec supported nonprofit partners that help advance underserved populations, such as theAnita Borg Institute, National Center for Women & Information Technology and San Francisco Gender Equality Challenge.
• At the end of FY13, women in leadership at Symantec was up from 25 percent to 27 percent, matching the overall percentage of employees who are women.

Today, I invite you to send a kind note to a STEM mentor of yours, or blog about a commendable woman in STEM and post it here.

I have recently joined Symantec as the SVP of Alliances, and can attest to the vibrancy of the community of women in STEM. Much remains to be done, but we have the right momentum!

Roxane Divol is Sr. Vice President, Partner Alliances for Symantec.