Breaking In and Reaching Out: Networking for Women in Computer Science

TL;DR

This paper examines the unique networking challenges faced by women in computer science, aiming to identify barriers and promote more inclusive practices through community discussion.

Contribution

It offers a factor-based framework to understand women's networking experiences and highlights overlooked challenges to foster inclusivity.

Findings

Identifies structural and personal barriers to women's networking in computing.

Highlights the importance of inclusive practices for equitable networking.

Provides insights from community-driven discussions on women's experiences.

Abstract

Networking is central to careers in computer science, where a globally distributed and diverse community increasingly collaborates across institutional and geographic boundaries, often in hybrid and remote settings. However, access to effective networking is shaped by structural and personal factors, including geography, funding, language, identity, personality, and caregiving responsibilities. Building on prior work, this workshop focuses on women in computing to examine lived experiences of networking and the barriers they encounter. Through a community-driven discussion grounded in a factor-based framework, the workshop aims to surface overlooked challenges and foster shared understanding. Ultimately, it seeks to inform more inclusive, equitable, and accessible networking practices within the computer science community.