It is clear that technology is no natural force advancing in whichever direction it pleases, but that it is driven by the very people who create it: overwhelmingly men in the Global North. It is unsurprising, then, that technology tends to reflect their experiences and serve their interests. The efforts of women from within and beyond the sector have drawn attention to this problem: Timnit Gebru, Joy Buolamwini, Caroline Criado Perez, Ellen Pao.
Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon certainly ranks among them. A computer scientist and former child prodigy, she founded Stemettes in 2013: a social enterprise supporting under-represented groups in STEM, especially young women.
In ‘She’s in CTRL’ (Bantam Press, £16.99, ISBN: 9781787635029), Imafidon makes the case that the tech world should not be considered exclusive and out of reach, and that women must get in the rooms where the big decisions are made, or – better still – create their own.
She’s in CTRL is structured...