Meet Saadia Muzaffar — the founder of TechGirls Canada who is dedicated to removing barriers to STEM careers for all women
Introducing Girls Who Code Club Spotlights — Canada!
Girls Who Code’s Canadian Women in Tech Spotlights
There is a talent deficit in the Canadian technology community; one that will only close if more women pursue computer science careers.
Convincing women that technology is a viable option for them can be difficult, though, especially when the majority of Canadians admit they can’t name a single woman scientist or engineer and they picture a man, not a woman, when they imagine a computer scientist.
Knowing that change isn’t realized by sitting idly by, Saadia Muzaffar founded TechGirls Canada, an organization that works to ensure all women have access to the world of science and technology.
Intersectionality is a key focus of Muzaffar’s work with TechGirls Canada — the nonprofit highlights that its programming is targeted toward all women, including women of color, LGBTQ+ women, refugees, indigenous women, and women of all abilities.
But the importance of intersectionality also extends into her other work. In 2018, Muzaffar conducted research with the Institute for Gender and the Economy at the University of Toronto that explored the experiences of immigrant women in STEM.
An immigrant herself — she moved to Canada with her family at age 19 — her research found that immigrant women are twice as likely to have a STEM degree as Canadian-born women, yet they women face some of the highest levels of labour market challenges in Canada.
Beyond TechGirls Canada, Muzaffar is an acclaimed author, a board member of Women’s Shelters Canada, an advisor for several mentorship programs for girls. In 2017 she was also featured in Canada 150 Women, a book about 150 of the most influential and groundbreaking women in Canada.
At Girls Who Code we believe that you cannot be what you cannot see. This is why we’ve created Women in Tech Spotlights featuring Canadian women in tech for our Clubs in Canada. These Spotlights are available to our Clubs Facilitators across Canada as teaching aids for the girls in their classrooms.
