Every March, we celebrate women who have changed the world. Their contributions to history, culture, and science deserve recognition and can inspire young women to make the similar strides. On February 11, 2016, we celebrated the first International Day of Women and Girls in Science to honor the countless women who have shaped our countries. This celebration showcases the advancement women can make and are making to the field. Without women like Grace Hopper, Maria Klawe, and Ada Lovelace, computer science would not be where it is today. Check out their accomplishments.

• Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, from the U.S., was at the forefront of computer and programming language development in the mid-1900s. Hopper developed computer languages written in English, rather than mathematical notation.
• Maria Klawe, born in Canada, later becoming a U.S. Citizen, is a prominent computer scientist and is now the first female president of Harvey Mudd College. She continues towork hard to ignite passion about STEM fields amongst diverse groups.
• Ada Lovelace, from England, is considered to be the founder of scientific computing and the first computer programmer.
• The ENIAC Programmers, from the U.S. Army, were comprised of six young women who programmed the first all-electronic programmable computer.

Today, more than 40 percent of women are majoring in computer science. We can break down barriers and normalize women and girls in this field. We want to raise awareness of women in computer science and equality within all STEM careers. We encourage those of you working with young people to introduce them to STEM careers, role models, and the impact of STEM professionals on our global economy.How can you inspire someone to pursue a career in science and technology?Source: https://www.whitehouse.gov/women-in-stemSource: http://www.esa.doc.gov/sites/default/files/womeninstemagaptoinnovation8311.pdf