From past to present: The legacy of women in technology

The importance of women in the evolution of technology

Women have played a fundamental role in creating technological innovations that have revolutionized the world of technology throughout history. The innovations developed by women around the world have been and continue to be fundamental to technological progress.

Gender equality in the technology sector is not only a matter of justice, but is fundamental to creating a more inclusive, innovative and sustainable technological future. Through this sharing, we aim to recognize and celebrate some of the remarkable achievements of women in technology, taking them as an example to follow and contributing to the creation of a more equal environment for the benefit of all.

Grace Hopper, the creator of the first computer software

Grace Brewster Murray Hopper (1906-1992), was a female computer pioneer and US naval officer, playing significant roles in the field of technology and as a military officer, contributing significantly to computer programming, software development and programming languages.

During World War II, Hopper played a crucial role in the development of the first American electromechanical computer, MARK I. After the war, she continued to work in computer development and contributed to the creation of the first commercial electronic computer, UNIVAC I. Grace Hopper was a pioneer in automatic programming and user-friendly programming languages, having developed COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language), a programming language for business use.

Also known for inventing the term 'bug' to indicate problems or faults in software, she was recognized with various awards and honours throughout her life. She continues to be remembered as a visionary who anticipated the potential of computers to solve problems, and for her legacy and vision which have inspired several generations.

Ada Lovelace, the first programmer in history

Augusta Ada Byron (1815-1852), Countess of Lovelace, was an English mathematician and writer who created the first algorithm to be processed by Charles Bobbage's analytical machine (a computer proposed in the 19th century).

Better known as Ada Lovelace, she developed the algorithms that allowed Bobbage's machine to compute the values of mathematical functions. She also published notes on the machine, adding her ideas and reasoning, which led her to be considered the first programmer in history.

In the 1980s, the ADA language, inspired by the PASCAL language, was developed and named after Ada Lovelace.

Hedy Lamarr, the creator and 'mother of Wi-Fi'

Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler (1914-2000), Austrian-American actress and inventor, was a pioneer in the technology that became the basis for the creation of Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth.

Known by her stage name of Hedy Lamarr during World War II, she was a visionary when she realized the importance of wireless communication and the need for security in this field. She patented this technology, called 'frequency hopping technology', which would enable secure wireless communication and revolutionized communications, paving the way for the technology that is used every day today.

In the last years of her life, in 1997, Lamarr was awarded a Pioneer Award by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. She became the first woman to receive the Bulbie Gnass Spirit of Achievement Award from the Invention Convention and, in 2014, was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for the development of her technology, which led to Lamarr being dubbed the 'Mother of Wi-Fi'.

Karen Spärck Jones, self-taught programmer who laid the foundations for search engines

Karen Jones (1935-2007), a British computer scientist known for her contributions to natural language processing and information retrieval, as well as being an advocate for women in STEM fields, specifically computer science and technology.

She was the woman responsible for laying the foundations for information retrieval used today, i.e. the technology behind search engines such as Google or Bing.

She has won several awards and has been honored with the Karen Spärck Jones Award, which is designed to distinguish professionals in the field of information retrieval.

The women and programmers of ENIAC

Specifically, Kathleen McNulty (Mauchly Antonelli, 1921-2006), Jean Jennings Bartik (1924-2011), Frances 'Betty' Snyder (later Holberton, 1917-2001), Marlyn Wescoff (later Meltzer, 1922-2008), Ruth Lichterman (Teitelbaum, 1924-1986) and Frances Bilas (later Spence, 1922-2013) are the names of the 6 women who played a key role in developing and programming ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), the first large-scale digital electronic computer.

Having been recruited during World War II to work on the project at the University of Pennsylvania, their contribution enabled the project to be a success by programming the computer to carry out complex calculations needed to help in the war, such as ballistic trajectories.

The 6 women were primarily responsible for the precise operation of ENIAC and paved the way for other women in the field of technology.

Women in Technology

All of these women are examples of people who demonstrate that technology has no gender, that talent and creativity know no limits when the goal is the evolution and progress of the world. Technological innovations have had a profound impact on the way we live today, which makes it essential to value and celebrate women's fundamental contributions to technology, as well as the challenges they have faced and continue to face.

The contribution of women in technology has not stopped there, and today, women from different parts of the world such as Joy Buolamwini, Shafi Goldwasser, Sheryl Sandberg or the Portuguese Candy Flores, Daniela Braga and Manuela Veloso continue to make significant advances in various fields such as artificial intelligence, software development, cybersecurity and much more.