Gender Diversity Interventions in Software Engineering: A Comprehensive Review of Existing Practices

Abstract

Context:

Over the years, the software engineering (SE) research community has examined the role of gender within the field, leading to numerous studies on the challenges faced by women and minorities. Despite this, there is a significant research gap on the effectiveness of various interventions designed to address these persistent challenges.

Objective:

This review analyzed the current state of interventions that address gender disparities in the SE context. The goal of the review is to understand the various interventions implemented in educational and industrial settings and to identify their impact on women and other targeted minorities.

Methods:

We conducted a systematic literature review, analyzing 33 studies that reported on interventions addressing gender disparities in SE.

Results:

We identified the most common interventions implemented over the years, the challenges they addressed, the organizations and target users involved, the specific actions proposed, the underlying theories, the research methodologies used, and the impact of these interventions.

Conclusion:

The findings revealed a lack of interventions that aim at retaining women in the SE field, with few programs investing in employees’ satisfaction with the work environment. The findings also show a lack of outreach programs to create meaningful connections with companies and provide support in finding job opportunities. Moreover, only one intervention incorporates long-term activities, and very few interventions build on a theoretical background.