Let women code

 “Globalization, digital innovation and climate change, among other factors, continue to change the world in which we work — posing both challenges as well as opportunities in realizing women’s economic potential for a better tomorrow,” according to the United Nations. 

Indeed, big trends like working from home, freelancing and digital nomad culture are big wins for women. These days they cannot only work independent from their families, they can work independent from their countries too. A friend of mine, Zeynep Gabralı, is working in Bali for a U.S.-based company. 

In Turkey, there are lots of initiatives for women, which are pushing them to work more and in more contemporary areas, like coding. 

Djangogirls is one of them. It is an international movement and has a branch in Istanbul. There is always an event for women usually by women about coding. You can follow them on their Twitter handle @djangogirlsIst.  

You should also join the Women Tech Makers conference on March 19 at Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district. 

There is also another big trend in Turkey, where women are performing better than men in exams. 

According to Hürriyet Daily News, in recent years, Turkish girls have outperformed boys in university placement exams.      

Nationwide results released on March 2015 showed that, for example, 72 percent of girls scored the 180 points needed to apply for the second round of Turkey’s national university entrance exam. 

Only 66 percent of boys met the grade, according to the state-run Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM).      

Not only are girls outscoring boys in tests, but the number of them enrolling in universities is higher.      

I hope the number of women scoring high grades in university exams increase, together with new platforms that support women who code, which would raise more Turkish women coders. We need them dearly.