The coolness of coding, using contraceptives and men leaning in. This is your Spark news digest.
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BUSINESS: Opening a Gateway for Girls to Enter the Computer Field
The secret’s out, coding is cool. Women earn just 12% of computer science degrees and that needs to change. Girls Who Code and other similarly focused organizations are aiming to increase the amount of girls in tech. These groups open up the gateway for young women by teaching them how to code at a young age.
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WORLD REPORT: Contraception is good for the economy, everything else
Janet Jackson is not the only one who thinks control is a positive thing. A new study finds that giving women access to control their own fertility is a really good thing for themselves, their relationships and the economic state of the world.
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BUSINESS: Career Advice from Sheryl Sandberg and Amex CEO Chenault
Work place dilemma’s are not just when someone takes your stapler. 64% of men are afraid to be in a room alone with a female employee. In this video, Amex CEO and Sheryl Sandberg discuss creating informal mentoring programs for male bosses and female employees without feelings of discomfort.
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GLOBAL: In country of sustained conflict, two DRC women work toward peace
Spark member’s don’t just show up, they create change. Spark’s own Larkin Callaghan authored a piece about gender justice in the DRC.
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GLOBAL: Malawi’s Leader Makes Safe Childbirth Her Mission
1 out of every 36 women are at risk of dying from childbirth in Malawi. Joyce Banda, the country’s new president is out to change that. Despite a national ban on childbirth at home, most Malawians ignore it in favor of customs that have governed their lives for as long as they can remember. In order to shift the norms, Banda is working with the real power brokers of Malawi, the 20,000 village chiefs, explaining the dangers of home births while still respecting tribal traditions.
Spark: Igniting Global Change 