Introduction

International Women's Day is celebrated on 8th Mar every year to dedicate this day to the achievements of women in various fields ranging from Science & Tech to arts, music, social science, etc. Women are integral parts of any society and have faced a lot of challenges to come out of their protective shelves to shine in their respective fields. For Women's Day of 2024, Hashnode Team has come up with an initiative called Breaking Barriers dedicated to Women in Tech. Under this prompt, I would like to take you all through the journeys of First Women Computer Scientists. I will try to showcase the journeys of two Women; Ada Lovelace and Sudha Murthy who are considered as the First Women Computer Scientists of the world and India respectively.

Ada Lovelace - Her life

Ada Lovelace was an English Mathematician and writer, who is often considered as the first computer programmer. She was an associate of Charles Babbage (The father of computers) and wrote a program for his prototype of the computer. She was born on 10th December 1852, Marylebone, London to the poet Lord Byron and Annabella Milbanke Byron, who legally separated from his wife after a month of Ada's birth and left England forever.

In 1835, at the age of 19, she married William King, who later became, the Earl of Lovelace, hence Ada's surname as Ada Lovelace. She became the countess of Earl. They had three children together.

She was privately taught Mathematics and Science by William Frend, William King and Mary Somerville. Her interest in Mathematics grew over the years. She was helped in her advanced studies by a mathematician-logician Augustus De Morgan, the first professor of Mathematics at the University of London.

She died at the age of 36 on 27th November 1852 from uterine cancer. She was buried, at her request, next to her father, at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.

Ada Lovelace - Her Contribution & Recognition

1. At the age of seventeen, she was presented at the court and became a popular "belle of the season" in part because of her "brilliant mind".

2. Ada met Charles Babbage in 1833 through her mutual friend, Mary Sommerville. Impressed by her analytical skills and intellect, Babbage referred to her as "The Enchantress of Number".

3. During nine months in 1842-43, she translated Italian Mathematician Luigi Menabrea's article on Babbage's newest proposed machine, the Analytical Engine. Her notes explained how the Analytical Engine differed from the original Difference Engine. Her work was supported by notable scientists like Michael Faraday.

Knowing the first woman computer Scientist of India

Sudha Murthy - Her Life

Sudha Murthy was born on 19th August 1950 in Karnataka, India. Her father, R.H. Kulkarni was a surgeon, and her mother, Vimala Kulkarni was a schoolteacher. She has done BEng in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from B.V.B College of Engineering and Technology and MEng in Computer Science from Indian Institute of Science(IISc), Bengaluru.

Sudha Murthy was the first female engineer to be hired as Development Engineer at TATA Engineering and locomotive company(TELCO). She started working in Pune but later at the offices of Mumbai and Jamshedpur. She later joined Walchand Group of Industries in Pune as a Senior System Analyst.

She started Infosys Foundation in 1996 and has been a trustee there till date. She has worked as a visiting professor at the PG Center of Bangalore University. She has also taught at Christ University.

Sudha Murthy - Her Contribution and Recognition

1. She has written many books including novels, story books for children, travelogues, memoirs, and technical books in Kannada, and English which have been translated into other regional languages of India. She has also contributed her writeups to various columns in English and Kannada newspapers. Some of her novels and short stories have been adopted in movies.

2. She founded Infosys Foundation in 1996 which acts as a public charitable trust.

3. She received many awards including Padma Shri(2006), Padma Bhushan(2023),Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar(2023), Crossword Book Award in Non-Fiction Category(2018), etc.

Inspiration

I feel extremely lucky to have attended one of Sudha Murthy's live sessions in person and it was worth of all my time and effort to be present at the venue. I got a chance to get a book written by her, which I had possessed then, to be signed by her. I am always inspired by her simplicity, wit, and clarity in presenting her thoughts—no doubt why her actions speak louder than her words. I have read a couple of her books and I must say that her writing style captivated me. Her narratives are simple and full of relatable instances which make her books; absolute page-turners.

Resources & Conclusion

The life story of Ada Lovelace and Sudha Murty has inspired me to do well in my life. They conquered all challenges in their lives to contribute to a bigger cause; the betterment of society at large, thereby justifying the greatness of their lives.

Resources I referred to while researching about Ada Lovelace and Sudha Murthy:

1. Wikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Lovelace

2)Britannica :https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ada-Lovelace

3. Wikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudha_Murty

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