Computer Coding: It's Not Just for Boys

Three years ago, Belinda Parmar founded Lady Geek, a consulting firm that helps technology companies connect with female customers and bolster the number of women in work forces. Convinced that the paucity of women in technology has its roots in earlier life, Parmar last fall started Little Miss Geek, a non-profit aimed at convincing girls that programming is not a solitary grind but creative and eventually lucrative work.

Both sexes love gadgets — but while girls may enjoy owning the latest devices, parents and teachers do not point out that they also have the brains to build them, Parmar says. “They’re dreaming of using the iPad mini and the latest smartphone, but they’re not dreaming of creating it,” she said. As a consequence, Parmar said, women are missing out in an industry that is changing the world and growing and paying handsomely, as other sectors shrink.