Apple Celebrating International Women's Day With 'Girls Who Code' Partnership and More Throughout March

[MacRumors]

International Women's Day is March 8, but Apple plans to celebrate women throughout the entire month of March with a new Girls Who Code partnership, special Today at Apple sessions at Apple Stores, an Activity Challenge, and more.

First, Apple is partnering with Girls Who Code to support new coding opportunities for girls and young women in the United States. Using Apple's Everyone Can Code curriculum, 90,000 girls and Girls Who Code Club facilitators in all 50 states will have the opportunity to learn Apple's programming language Swift.

Swift training will also be provided for club leaders to help expand the number and reach of coding clubs. Apple supports educational opportunities for students of all ages and backgrounds, and advocates for girls' right to access the same learning opportunities as their male counterparts through its Developer Academies, Everyone Can Code curriculum and work with the Malala Fund and National Center for Women and Information Technology.

Second, in select Apple Stores around the world, visitors can attend over 60 Today at Apple sessions in a new "Made By Women" series throughout March. Sessions will be held in select stores in Singapore, Kyoto, Hong Kong, London, Milan, Paris, Dubai, San Francisco, Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles.

Third, Apple Watch users around the world can earn an exclusive badge and iMessage stickers when they complete a walk, run, or wheelchair workout of a mile or longer on International Women's Day, which is Friday, March 8 this year.

Fourth, every App of the Day featured in the App Store in March in the United States will highlight an app founded, developed, or led by a woman, including Bumble, TheSkimm, and Stitch Fix. Apple will also be promoting women across Apple Music, iTunes, Beats 1, Apple Books, and Apple Podcasts.

Apple's environmental and social initiatives chief Lisa Jackson:

Women have earned the opportunity to have our ideas shape the future. We're excited to support Girls Who Code as they empower girls to be the developers and tech innovators of tomorrow.

Read more about Apple's International Women's Day initiatives on its Newsroom.


Article Link: Apple Celebrating International Women's Day With 'Girls Who Code' Partnership and More Throughout March

 

[Baymowe335]

Please don't find something to complain about here. This is a good thing.

 

[nottorp]

Well, isn't Apple the same company that doesn't allow applications that run user created code in the app store? Gender doesn't matter, people aren't allowed to use iDevices for development.

 

[travoose]

As a computer teacher, this is great, because there is a large discrepancy between the amount of boys, compared to girls, involved in or taking an interest in coding/technology.

 

[Marekul]

Please don't find something to complain about here. This is a good thing.

it is positive discrimination and it doesn’t do women much good. Why have special classes for women? Do they have special needs?

Real female coders will have it hard to earn respect from colleagues cause it is hard to know if they were hired for skills and talent or for politics.

 

[TomOSeven]

As a computer teacher, this is great, because there is a large discrepancy between the amount of boys, compared to girls, involved in or taking an interest in coding/technology.

As the owner of a plumbing company, in the business since my parents founded it in 1968, 100% of our plumbers and 100% of our applicants have been men.

I do wonder why I've never seen a 'girls who plumb' initiative.

Or a 'boys who nurse' one, for that matter.

 

[Marekul]

As a computer teacher, this is great, because there is a large discrepancy between the amount of boys, compared to girls, involved in or taking an interest in coding/technology.

Yeah just like there is a large discrepancy bewteeen the amount of boys compared to girls, playing with barbie puppets and dressing in pink.
Is this a problem though?

 

[napabar]

it is positive discrimination and it doesn’t do women much good. Why have special classes for women? Do they have special needs?

Real female coders will have it hard to earn respect from colleagues cause it is hard to know if they were hired for skills and talent or for politics.

Too much common sense for the hipster/Millennials in this thread.

 

[PickUrPoison]

Well, isn't Apple the same company that doesn't allow applications that run user created code in the app store?

No.

Gender doesn't matter, people aren't allowed to use iDevices for development.

I assume those who develop apps for the App Store will need to use a Mac. If they just want to learn to code, Swift playgrounds is excellent, and it’s an iPad app.

 

[indychris]

Please don't find something to complain about here. This is a good thing.

Can we go back to segregation and bussing, too? I'm assuming those must be 'good things' also now that we've discovered that balkanizing people into small identity groups is a positive thing again.

 

[ipponrg]

International Women's Day is March 8, but Apple plans to celebrate women throughout the entire month of March with a new Girls Who Code partnership, special Today at Apple sessions at Apple Stores, an Activity Challenge, and more.

First, Apple is partnering with Girls Who Code to support new coding opportunities for girls and young women in the United States. Using Apple's Everyone Can Code curriculum, 90,000 girls and Girls Who Code Club facilitators in all 50 states will have the opportunity to learn Apple's programming language Swift.Second, in select Apple Stores around the world, visitors can attend over 60 Today at Apple sessions in a new "Made By Women" series throughout March. Sessions will be held in select stores in Singapore, Kyoto, Hong Kong, London, Milan, Paris, Dubai, San Francisco, Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles.

Third, Apple Watch users around the world can earn an exclusive badge and iMessage stickers when they complete a walk, run, or wheelchair workout of a mile or longer on International Women's Day, which is Friday, March 8 this year.

Fourth, every App of the Day featured in the App Store in March in the United States will highlight an app founded, developed, or led by a woman, including Bumble, TheSkimm, and Stitch Fix. Apple will also be promoting women across Apple Music, iTunes, Beats 1, Apple Books, and Apple Podcasts.

Apple's environmental and social initiatives chief Lisa Jackson:Read more about Apple's International Women's Day initiatives on its Newsroom.


Article Link: Apple Celebrating International Women's Day With 'Girls Who Code' Partnership and More Throughout March

As a software engineer and mentor myself, I do like these programs despite the positive discrimination. I only wish Apple focused more on languages that were more universal in their curriculum.

It remains to be seen how transferable Swift is outside of the Apple ecosystem. What is also key here is to learn programming concepts and fundamentals and not just the language itself.

 

[FrenchRoasted]

Yeah just like there is a large discrepancy bewteeen the amount of boys compared to girls, playing with barbie puppets and dressing in pink.
Is this a problem though?

Not a problem at all. Girls and boys, women and men generally have different preferences and Apple or AOC can't change that. But that doesn't mean there won't be girls/women who want to code or men who want to be nurses. We all are free to choose our own paths because we are human beings with free will. I know that's not the current zeitgeist, I'm hoping this won't matter in the future when AI writes all the code for us. I think AI will be much better overlords that the current crop of elites.

 

[Baymowe335]

Can we go back to segregation and bussing, too? I'm assuming those must be 'good things' also now that we've discovered that balkanizing people into small identity groups is a positive thing again.

Please. Give me a break.
[doublepost=1551368824][/doublepost]

it is positive discrimination and it doesn’t do women much good. Why have special classes for women? Do they have special needs?

Real female coders will have it hard to earn respect from colleagues cause it is hard to know if they were hired for skills and talent or for politics.

Some might argue, yes, they do. This will get political too quickly, so I exit.

 

[alexandr]

it's march 8th every year.

 

[lunarworks]

As the owner of a plumbing company, in the business since my parents founded it in 1968, 100% of our plumbers and 100% of our applicants have been men.

I do wonder why I've never seen a 'girls who plumb' initiative.

Or a 'boys who nurse' one, for that matter.

If girls wanna get into the trades, all the more power to them. But if plumbers are anything like the welders or mechanics I've had to work with, they're gonna need an extra thick skin to deal with all the deeply embedded sexism.

If boys wanna be nurses, that's great. They're in demand with this aging population. But they're gonna have to deal with their friends ruthlessly mocking them for wanting to do a "girl's job".

 

[travoose]

Yeah just like there is a large discrepancy bewteeen the amount of boys compared to girls, playing with barbie puppets and dressing in pink.
Is this a problem though?

Not sure if it is a problem, other than I think there might be some really talented girls who choose not to go that route because they feel it is a male dominated industry, just like others have mentioned other gender dominated professions. Again, not problems, but we, as a society, may be missing out on some really talented people who can do amazing things in certain fields but never take the steps towards them because of the gender dominance.

 

[Marekul]

Not a problem at all. Girls and boys, women and men generally have different preferences and Apple or AOC can't change that. But that doesn't mean there won't be girls/women who want to code or men who want to be nurses. We all are free to choose our own paths because we are human beings with free will. I know that's not the current zeitgeist, I'm hoping this won't matter in the future when AI writes all the code for us. I think AI will be much better overlords that the current crop of elites.

So if it is not a problem why do we need all these programs and initiatives to actively push women into tech?

 

[Deacon-Blues]

This is awesome! Glad to see Apple making opportunities for young women to get involved in programming. So when is International Men's Day? My young son wants to learn as well and he’s looking forward to the same great promotion from Apple!

 

[Boatboy24]

You can be anything!

But we strongly encourage you to be a coder.

 

[FrenchRoasted]

So if it is not a problem why do we need all these programs and initiatives to actively push women into tech?

Because managers need projects to help get promotions.

 

[Marekul]

Not sure if it is a problem, other than I think there might be some really talented girls who choose not to go that route because they feel it is a male dominated industry, just like others have mentioned other gender dominated professions. Again, not problems, but we, as a society, may be missing out on some really talented people who can do amazing things in certain fields but never take the steps towards them because of the gender dominance.

Same argument could be made we are missing out on lots of male talent because they never got a chance because of focus towards females in education and quotas in companies.

How about making sure it is a problem before coming up with solutions that potentially have huge implications on the social fabric?

 

[RichTF]

As the owner of a plumbing company, in the business since my parents founded it in 1968, 100% of our plumbers and 100% of our applicants have been men.

I do wonder why I've never seen a 'girls who plumb' initiative.

Or a 'boys who nurse' one, for that matter.

Start one then, sounds like a great idea! You were being genuine in your concern, I assume.
[doublepost=1551370823][/doublepost]

it is positive discrimination and it doesn’t do women much good. Why have special classes for women? Do they have special needs?

Real female coders will have it hard to earn respect from colleagues cause it is hard to know if they were hired for skills and talent or for politics.

The problem isn’t women and their “special needs”. And the problem isn’t women not “earning” respect.

The problem is men creating and continuing a women-hostile culture in many jobs, including software engineering. And the problem is men holding women to a higher standard than men when it comes to giving them the respect they deserve.

Until those things are fixed, we need to find other (less ideal) ways of redressing the balance. You want to see positive discrimination go away? Then fight to fix the problems caused by men in the workplace. And the first step to fixing them is in acknowledging that these problems are real. Don’t be afraid to let go of the advantages you currently enjoy as a man. You might not need them as much as you think you do…

 

[WestonHarvey1]

As the owner of a plumbing company, in the business since my parents founded it in 1968, 100% of our plumbers and 100% of our applicants have been men.

I do wonder why I've never seen a 'girls who plumb' initiative.

Or a 'boys who nurse' one, for that matter.

The first one would be considered demeaning to women, and the second would be an attempt by the patriarchy to take jobs away from women.

 

[guzhogi]

So if it is not a problem why do we need all these programs and initiatives to actively push women into tech?

I find gender isn't the problem. The real problem is all the people who think it is.

 

[StellarVixen]

Damn right!


Even those few women in coding are in front end/design.

Women in backend and data science are rare as the blue moon.