November, 2022 – The main objective of the Chile Women in Computing (ChileWiC) gathering is to showcase the work of women in computer science and computing, and contribute to reducing the gender gap in the field. This year, the event is returning to an in-person format. The conference will take place in Santiago on Friday, December 16th, and is organized by academics from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, the Federico Santa María Technical University, the University of Chile, the University of Los Andes, and the University of La Frontera. The event is supported by NIC Chile, the National Center for Artificial Intelligence (CenIA), and the Millennium Institute for Foundations of Data (IMFD).

“We work in the field and we know that in Chile there are significantly fewer women than men in computer science, informatics, and related areas. One of the main goals of ChileWiC is to showcase the first-rate work performed by women in these disciplines, including academics, students, entrepreneurs, and professionals in various roles. Additionally, we aim to foster the creation of a community that benefits from the experiences of all members. To achieve this, it is crucial for us to finally be able to gather in person,” highlights Valeria Herskovic, an academic from the Department of Computer Science at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, co-director of the Human & Process Research Lab, associate researcher at CenIA, and co-founder and steering committee member of ChileWiC.

ChileWiC is an ACM-W activity, a division of the Association for Computing Machinery that internationally supports, celebrates, and promotes the full participation of women in all aspects of the computing field.

In Chile, only 25% of those who enroll in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programs are women, and only 7% of undergraduate degree recipients in these fields are female. This gender disparity is also reflected in scientific research, as 35% of researchers in the country are women, according to the Gender Snapshot study conducted by the Ministry of Science.

The study, which analyzes the gender gap in academia and research, presented by Observa of the Ministry of Science in 2021, also reveals the difference in salaries in STEM areas, with a 16% gap between men and women.

“That’s why we aim to go beyond and create a network where women can share their experiences in various fields and hopefully stay connected for the future. For example, professionals working in the industry can provide advice on job searching, entrepreneurs can discuss the challenges they have faced, and academics and students can showcase their research and projects,” comments Claudia López, a Steering Committee member of ChileWiC, academic from the Department of Informatics at the Federico Santa María Technical University in Valparaíso, and associate researcher at CenIA.

ChileWiC 2022 will take place in a one-day event on Friday, December 16, 2022. The venue will be Auditorio C001 at the Pontifical Catholic University (Civil Engineering Classroom Building, San Joaquín Campus UC, Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Macul, Metro San Joaquín), and it includes a competition for students.

More information can be found at www.chilewic.cl.