SheCoded 2021 — Stories From Women Building Software and the Allies Supporting Them

Note: Given the global nature of our audience, this year, we have decided to begin celebrating International Women’s Day when the first timezone hits Monday, March 8. That's 10 AM UTC on Sunday, March 7.

A very happy International Women's Day, 2021! 🎉

As you may know, each year at DEV, we celebrate International Women's Day by collecting and highlighting stories within the DEV community — this celebration is called "Nevertheless, She Coded".

The official theme of International Women's Day this year is "Choose to Challenge". At DEV, we see this theme as an invitation to fight against gender and gender non-conforming inequity, harmful stereotypes, and the limitations our society puts on women who code.

While #SheCoded is focused particularly on the stories of women in the tech, for our fifth year in a row, we welcome posts from the entire community, including allies — regardless of gender.

Below are just a few #SheCoded, #TheyCoded, and #SheCodedAlly stories that embody the spirit of "Nevertheless, She Coded" and International Women's Day. We invite you to browse the entire #SheCoded library and contribute your own post to our collection. ❤️

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@rachelombok

"If you are unsure how to be a good ally, ask how you can support your underrepresented peers and their coding journeys. Being clear and open about things like this will make you a better ally, and you may learn a new way of how to support that you might've not thought of."

@kotzendekrabbe

"My journey to becoming an Executive Principal Engineer working in Developer Relations was not easy. Here is my story and why I believe we need to challenge ourselves."

@marklewin

"If you are a woman or non-binary person who has been put off joining us in the past, I plead you to reconsider now.

You’re not the heroes we deserve, but you are the heroes we need."

@omeal

"Women are interested in fast-paced work life, they love to solve interesting problems and look for opportunities to grow."

@danielaf

”This is what I have done [since #SheCoded last year]:
- I completed a Udemy course of JavaScript
- I signed up for Edabit - which is an excellent way to “keep fit” by solving 1 or 2 challenges every day
- I found a tutor at Coding Tech. I have been doing online lessons each week and it has helped massively
- I finished the book "JavaScript & JQuery", which the teacher of my Front End course recommended. A book sounds sort of old school when it comes to programming, but studying in the old way can be very effective. This guide is very well done, and I highly recommend it
- I started to develop my own project, so I am coding for fun, which is with no doubt the best way to learn and keep motivated."

@adiatiayu

"I have found my safe place and a great support system in my journey. They guide me to grow, develop myself, allow me to contribute and help with what I can give."

@itsasine

If we are to survive as a species, it will be because we one day realize that every member of our society has something to offer and that the contributions of all of us working together will get us further than simply relying on manpower ever could have.

@bb_loft

”We know that women have been disproportionately impacted by COVID and we can all lend our support to the community around us in helping those impacted however we are able. As folks are starting to plan physical events, I hope we can keep the increase in accessibility and inclusivity practices that virtual events have enabled.”

@jenc

"Instead of waiting to be told how senior I am and worrying I'm overvaluing myself, I've come to understand that my skills and specialization are valuable in their own right."

@whykay

”My most recent achievement was finally creating a site to curate tech events and diversity in tech events hosted by organizers based in Ireland and Northern Ireland.”

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Thank you to everyone who participated in #SheCoded this year. Your words, personal challenges, and victories are awe-inspiring. If you want to contribute your story or want to browse the many posts not mentioned here please visit dev.to/shecoded. We will be highlighting posts through March 9th.

P.S. As part of the celebration, we have a special SheCoded 2021 collection of merch on the DEV Shop. Anyone who participates in this year’s event with an approved post will get a $20 coupon to the shop to go towards this collection.