Good practice:

Mimmit koodaa Pohjois-Karjala/Mimmit koodaa (Women code North Karelia/Women code

Mimmit koodaa Pohjois-Karjala as a part of Mimmit koodaa-programme (Women code-programme) aim is to increase gender equality in the Finnish software industry by breaking the stereotype that coding is only for men. The software is everywhere and is used by everyone and all skills are needed. But at the same time software industry is highly male dominated. Mimmit koodaa - programme wants to be involved in ensuring the development of high-quality and diverse software and promoting equality. North Karelia is a first region where the programme will be implemented as a project funded by European Social Fund
The core of the program is to provide easily accessible coding workshops free of charge for women who are interested in coding but have no previous experience in it. The programme builds a community which offers the low-threshold free activities, networking, workshops, webinars, training, examples, support and career stories from peers.
The long-term objective of #MimmitKoodaa is to help giving future generations an equal opportunity to study and flourish in the IT field, especially in the software industry. In the future, every company will be a software company and there will be an increasing need to use, customize, buy and develop software. The main stakeholders and beneficiaries are women, companies, communities, educational actors and educational organisations, municipalities and volunteers.

Mimmit koodaa North Karelia has 2 full-time project workers and total budget is 341 782 euros, 80% funded by European Social Fund.

Mimmit koodaa programme has proven that women are interested in software industry and tech. Over 7000 women nationwide has participated in webinars, seminars, workshops and hackaton. In years 2020-2021 was organised 94 events in which were 4184 participants and when 3485 participants from virtual events are added, all together 7669 women are reached by programme during two years. Mimmit-koodaa- programme and its coordinator Milja Köpsi has also gained national and international rewards.

The problem of the inequality and male dominance in software industry is similar all over the world. Also the stereotypes that women are not interested in coding and tech are very strong and it may not be recommended as a career for a girls by study counsellors etc. Mimmit koodaa- programme has already developed a model how in cooperation with it-companies, educational organisations and business promoting public organisations stereotypes can be changed, increase diversity in tech and at the same time help software industry to get work force. Programme offer example of concrete opportunities to try and learn: low-threshold free activities, networking, workshops, webinars, training. examples, examples, community, support and career stories from peers.