Women in STEM & Open Access Spotlight: Bozana Bokan, PKP Development Team

Celebrating Women in History Month: Part 1

This month, we’re celebrating the influence of women in history, and their allies, on the open access (OA) movement. In Part 1 of this series, we hear from Bozana Bokan, who shares her journey to open access software development as she weaves in her views on global community, awareness, representation, diversity, and inclusion.

WHAT DOES WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH MEAN TO YOU?

Women’s History Month is for me an opportunity to show the contributions of women,?and to address the?problems women face around the world. It is?also?an opportunity to?show the importance of diversity and inclusion, and to?anticipate alternative viewpoints as well as discuss different approaches?on how to support them in different areas of life.

HOW CAN WOMEN IN STEM ROLES BE RESPRESENTED MORE?

Specifically, women are underrepresented in?technology, and sharing stories of other women in technology?could be a small contribution to encourage women to enter this field.?Here I would like to share a small part of my story.

My wish for the next generation of children in STEM is?more cooperation,?and less competition, so that they are able to carry forward creativity in more supportive environments in all spheres of life. I wish for early, adequate, accessible support?of girls in technology around the world.?

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE COMPUTER SCIENCE & WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT PKP?

I work on software development?and maintenance?at Public Knowledge Project (PKP).?I very much like the logical thinking and problem solving in my work.?This is also a reason why I chose to study computer science.?It is a great?pleasure?for me?to?work in?the field and context of OA and open source.

WHAT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE OF BEING A WOMAN IN STEM AND OPEN ACCESS?

My beginnings in the study were difficult –?I lacked the?knowledge?in the field – my?contact with computer science in the school?was poor.?Software development?is used?in many contexts, and it can be difficult to find the right context. So, from my perspective, I would have wished for early and adequate support in the field, and this is now my wish for?the future of girls in technology.

Making the technology more accessible for women and girls in STEM would be valuable for them and for society. I am glad that after my study, I landed in the field of OA, but my study would probably have felt more comfortable and more pleasant if there were more women studying in the field.

WHAT MEANING DO YOU GET FROM YOUR WORK?

Working?at?the Center for Digital Systems at Freie Universit?t Berlin,?I?was?able to?help some OA journals to improve and sustain by using?open source?software?Open Journal Systems?(OJS),?to?adapt OJS so that it can better suit the?publishing?needs?of the users in Germany.?

I am very happy that?now, working at PKP,?I am able to address other important topics?in the field of?OA publishing, for example, usage statistics.?I am also happy to support the global PKP community, and?contribute to?the?great?achievements of PKP.

HOW DOES PKP STAND OUT FOR YOU?

I?very much enjoy the friendly and?supportive?PKP?working?environment, where everybody is fully included.?I can see PKP’s welcoming environment, support for openness and diversity throughout all?of PKP’s work, from?internal management via?software development, to?user?community?and support.

Recently I came back to work from parental leave, being in a different life situation, with additional?responsibilities and commitments.?The flexibility and understanding PKP provides helps me?manage?all my tasks and?better balance?my interests and?responsibilities.

WHAT IS YOUR WISH FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF CHILDREN?

My wish for the next generation of children in STEM is?more cooperation,?and less competition, so that they are able to carry forward creativity in more supportive environments in all spheres of life. I wish for early, adequate, accessible support?of girls in technology around the world.?

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Do you identify as a women in STEM or OA? Do you know someone who identifies as a woman, who inspired you, or took the time to mentor you? Do you have thoughts on how to represent and empower women in STEM or OA? Please share your thoughts and stories with us in the comments.