Computer science is still a male-dominated field - both in education and later in professional life. At KIT, for example, only a good 15% of students are currently female, which is even lower than the German average of around 24%. Studies show that deeply rooted clichés of the discipline - such as the so-called "nerd factor" - as well as misconceptions about studying and everyday working life prevent many girls (and boys) from considering studying Informatics. In the past, there was also often a lack of female role models to encourage and inspire young girls and women.

In order to increase the proportion of women in computer science in the long term, it is crucial to break down prejudices and convey a realistic picture of the course and career opportunities. We have already taken some important steps in this direction: with the introduction of the teacher education course in Informatics to train well-qualified educators to teach computer science in a targeted and authentic way. We are also pleased to have significantly more female professors in our ranks in recent years, who can act as role models for other women.

Our female scientists with "WITs" are another important building block. Even if their numbers are relatively low and have only been increasing slowly for years, they do of course exist: young women who have found their way into computer science and are studying with just as much interest, enjoyment and success as their fellow students or have already started their careers.
With the WIT // Women in IT initiative, we want to highlight inspiring women from different phases of their studies and professional lives. They report on their personal experiences and individual paths in computer science - and thus show how versatile and accessible this subject really is.