# BCSWomen > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/BCSWomen > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/BCSWomen.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BCSWomen > Source revision: 1355188437 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Specialist Group of the British Computer Society}} thumb|right {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2015}} {{Use British English|date=February 2015}} '''BCSWomen''' is a Specialist Group of the [British Computer Society](/source/British_Computer_Society), The Chartered Institute for IT, that provides networking opportunities for all BCS professional women working in IT around the world, as well as mentoring and encouraging girls and women to enter or return to IT as a career. == Background == Founded by [Sue Black](/source/Sue_Black_(computer_scientist)), BCSWomen has the aim of supporting women working in and considering a career in [Information Technology](/source/Information_Technology).[https://archive.today/20120711064652/http://itnow.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/citation/46/1/34 Spotlight: BCSWomen Specialist Group], ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20051024032411/http://itnow.oxfordjournals.org/ IT Now]'', 46(1):34, January 2004. {{doi|10.1093/combul/46.1.34}} The group was founded in 2001.Justin Richards, [http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2006/04/04/215212/bcswomen-celebrates-five-years.htm BCSWomen celebrates five years], ''[Computer Weekly](/source/Computer_Weekly)'', 4 April 2006. It has more than a thousand members and an active mailing list. Activities include meetings, networking, and mentoring. They also organise the Lovelace Colloquium. Many BCSWomen also participate in the annual [https://web.archive.org/web/20131004215219/http://www.dcs.qmul.ac.uk/women/LondonHopper.php London Hopper Colloquium], which showcases exciting work of women in computing research and enables new PhD researchers to meet with each other as well as with senior women computer scientists. [Grace Hopper](/source/Grace_Hopper) was a pioneering American computer scientist. BCSWomen organise other events for women in computing both technical and social, such as day trips to computer-related sites such as [Bletchley Park](/source/Bletchley_Park). == Lovelace Colloquium == The Lovelace Colloquium for undergraduate and post-graduate women and non-binary individuals in digital and computing, is a two-day conference which started in Leeds in 2008.[http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/bcswomen/ The BCSWomen Undergraduate Lovelace Colloquium], [University of Leeds](/source/University_of_Leeds), UK, 16 June 2008, 16 April 2009. The event is hosted around the UK, at universities and higher education institutions.[http://www.cs.cf.ac.uk/BCSWomen/ The BCSWomen Undergraduate Lovelace Colloquium], [Cardiff University](/source/Cardiff_University), UK, 8 April 2010 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101223141140/http://www.cs.cf.ac.uk/BCSWomen/ |date=23 December 2010 }}[http://events.cs.bham.ac.uk/BCSWomenLovelace2011/index.php The BCSWomen Undergraduate Lovelace Colloquium] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110221012532/http://events.cs.bham.ac.uk/BCSWomenLovelace2011/index.php |date=21 February 2011 }}, [University of Birmingham](/source/University_of_Birmingham), UK, 14 April 2011[http://www.bcs.org/content/conWebDoc/43741 The BCSWomen Lovelace Colloquium, Bath] [University of Bath](/source/University_of_Bath), UK, 12 April 2012[http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/computerscience/events/bcswomen-lovelace-colloquium-2013.aspx The BCSWomen Lovelace Colloquium, Nottingham], [University of Nottingham](/source/University_of_Nottingham), UK, 4 April 2013[http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/cs/lovelace-colloquium/ Lovelace Colloquium, Aberystwyth] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222035717/http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/cs/lovelace-colloquium/ |date=22 February 2014 }} [Aberystwyth University](/source/Aberystwyth_University), UK, 16 April 2014 Named in honour of [Ada Lovelace](/source/Ada_Lovelace), who is often regarded as the first computer programmer, the colloquium is a showcase for U.K. university women and non-binary students studying computing and related subjects, and focuses on their areas of digital interest. It was started by [Hannah Dee](/source/Hannah_Dee) MBE, who continues to play a key role in its organisation every year.{{cite web|url=http://users.aber.ac.uk/hmd1/bcs.html|title=BCSWomen & other BCS stuff from Hannah's Homepage|access-date=3 October 2013|archive-date=4 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004215146/http://users.aber.ac.uk/hmd1/bcs.html|url-status=dead}} ==Awards== [Gillian Arnold](/source/Gillian_Arnold_(technologist)), Chair of BCSWomen, was invited to Korea on 27 October 2014 to receive the Gender Equality Main Streaming - Technology (GEM-TECH) award on behalf of the BCS and BCSWomen.{{cite web|title=Gem-Tech Awards 2014: Winners|website=itu.int |url=http://www.itu.int/en/action/women/gem/Pages/award.aspx|accessdate=11 November 2014}} This achievement award of the ITU - [United Nations](/source/United_Nations) Women Joint Award, was for "Promoting Women in ICT Sector" and encouraging women to enter the computing sector and to encourage and support them during their careers. == Current and past chairs == * 2001–2008 [Sue Black](/source/Sue_Black_(computer_scientist)) * 2008–2011 [Karen Petrie](/source/Karen_Petrie) * 2011–2015 [Gillian Arnold](/source/Gillian_Arnold_(technologist)) * 2015–2020 Sarah Burnett * 2020-2025 Andrea Palmer * 2025 – present Tristi Tanaka{{cite web |title=BCSWomen Committee |url=https://www.bcs.org/membership-and-registrations/member-communities/bcswomen-specialist-group/about-bcswomen/committee/ |website=BCS |publisher=BCS |access-date=21 January 2026}} == See also == * [Women in computing](/source/Women_in_computing) == References == {{reflist|30em}} == External links == * [https://www.bcs.org/membership-and-registrations/member-communities/bcswomen-specialist-group/ BCSWomen website] Category:BCS Specialist Groups Category:Information technology organisations based in the United Kingdom Category:Non-profit organisations based in the United Kingdom Category:Organizations established in 2001 Category:Organizations for women in science and technology Category:Women's organisations based in the United Kingdom --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [BCSWomen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BCSWomen) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BCSWomen?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.