Mimmit koodaa’s journey

Today, all companies are software-driven: computers are used everywhere, international competition is fierce, and companies must keep up with continuous development in order to move their business forward. Software Finland ry offers corporate management the best possible IT training to meet this need. The association has represented Finnish software companies for nearly 30 years.

Over the years, the gender imbalance in the industry has become clear. The Mimmit koodaa (Women Who Code) program organized by the association was created out of a need to attract new talent to the industry and a desire to increase diversity in the IT sector. The program is one way in which the association aims to not only promote the development of the entire IT industry, but also to encourage the creation of high-quality software.

The program began with a single contact. Vlada Laukkonen decided to learn coding on his own, as there was a strong need for this skill at work. In 2018, she asked Software Finland ry for help in learning new skills and organizing company visits. Laukkonen’s contact was not the first sign of a problem – the lack of diversity and the exclusion of women from technology had already been recognized. At this point, the association understood its responsibility and was able to act quickly.

The solution was to come up with an initiative that would bring women and the IT sector closer together. This led to the launch of the Mimmit koodaa program in 2018. Milja Köpsi, who was working for the association at the time and is now the program’s leader, took primary responsibility for the program’s development, operations, and future.

Before the program was actually launched, Software Finland ry organized hands-on workshops for women under the leadership of Köps in collaboration with eight companies: Codemate Oy, Futurice, F-Secure, IBM, Knowit, Microsoft, Wunder, and 2NS.

Surprisingly, word spread quickly and hundreds of women lined up for the workshops. This proved that the need for the program was significantly greater than anyone had dared to imagine.

The workshop experience and a survey conducted by the association confirmed what was already known: stereotypes and prejudices were too strong in the IT sector, women were not guided into the field, and they felt like outsiders. There were also no suitable role models for women whose example would encourage them to seek employment in the IT sector.

The Mimmit koodaa program set out to tackle these challenges. The core of the program was the desire to eliminate stereotypes associated with the IT industry and coding—the most important message being that coding is for everyone, regardless of gender or background.

In 2018, the Mimmit koodaa program organized nearly 1,000 workshop days and two launch events. At that time, the program already had a staggering number of women participating—3,500 women in total. The program was also covered by the country’s main media outlets, including Yle, Helsingin Sanomat, Kauppalehti, and MTV.

The Mimmit koodaa program was awarded the Program of the Year award at the Mesoaja Gala 2019. The Mesoaja Gala awards the best in trade fair and event expertise based on their impact and strength.

In December 2019, the European Economic and Social Committee awarded the MK program the EU Gender Equality Award. EU Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen offered her heartfelt congratulations to the program:

“The EU needs equality just as much as Finland does, and the Girls Code program shows how concrete results can be achieved. Here, women who want change and companies that offer opportunities have joined forces in the software industry, and the appeal of this collaboration has proven to be very strong. I am delighted that Finland is setting an example of how equality and well-being go hand in hand.”

By 2019, the Mimmit koodaa program had already introduced 5,000 women to coding. Fourth place among nearly 200 applicants is a truly remarkable achievement and, above all, another step toward a more equal future.

Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, Mimmit koodaa also had to undergo a transformation in the spring of 2020. Previously, workshops were held in person and people met in a real environment, but now something else was needed. The change turned out to be a success, as Mimmit koodaa moved its events online.

The transition gave rise to many great events held via the screen, such as the Friday webinar, which is still part of the program’s events.

The most significant event of the program, which got its start during the coronavirus spring, was a virtual event called This Is Not a Webinar. It was a ”non-webinar,” i.e., a live event that was filmed in a studio and broadcast live to the participants’ screens via the internet.

The virtual event revolutionized event organization, as almost everything in event production changed. All speeches were delivered by the production company, and the event was surrounded by virtual company booths, networking, and discussion.

The years 2020 and 2021 played a major role in the journey of the Mimmit koodaa program. Köpsi was recognized as the most significant influencer of equality in the Nordic Women In Tech 2020 competition. This is how the jury assessed Köpsi’s work:

”Coming from a modest background, Milja has become a voice for thousands of adult women who have never received support or encouragement for technological studies and work. Her example is a classic ’you can do it’ story.”

In spring 2021, the first ever Mimmit koodaa award was presented to Eeva-Jonna Panula. Panula’s achievements were reviewed in a particularly dignified atmosphere, as the award was presented by President Tarja Halonen.

”The recipient of the first Mimmit koodaa award has been involved in the long-term and successful promotion of the program’s goals. Panula has been an inspiring example to the Mimmit koodaa community. In addition to her day job, she has shared her expertise as a trainer and motivator,” said President Halonen when presenting the award.

Rasmus Roiha, CEO of Software Finland, believes that the award is an important milestone for the entire software industry.

Since then, the Mimmit koodaa program and community have expanded even further. The program has organized numerous free events and training sessions in collaboration with companies in the field and has highlighted women in IT as role models and sources of inspiration.

Over the years, thousands of women have been able to take part in workshops, webinars, and IT events specifically designed for them.

According to a survey, the Mimmit koodaa program has succeeded in changing women’s perceptions of the IT sector and increasing its attractiveness. The program has also enabled networking with companies in the field and influenced study choices and career change plans to the benefit of the entire sector.

The program has a broad, nationwide network of over 100 organizations, including educational institutions, IT companies, and numerous other actors. Above all, however, Mimmit koodaa is a nationwide community of thousands of women – today, the program reaches up to 10,000 women across Finland!

Between 2021 and 2023, the Mimmit koodaa program ran its first local project in North Karelia. The workshops organized in the region attracted so much interest among women that, at its peak, hundreds of women interested in IT queued up to attend. The aim was to provide a local solution to the problem, and thus the Mimmit koodaa Pohjois-Karjala project was born.

The project implemented the North Karelia regional program (POKAT 2021, with a focus on education and skills) by supporting the education of women in the region and increasing IT skills. Women in North Karelia were offered free, low-threshold training in software development, as well as peer support and a sense of community in their own local Mimmit koodaa community. In addition, the project worked closely with companies and educational institutions in North Karelia to nurture future IT professionals.

The Mimmit koodaa Pohjois-Karjala project brought the IT sector and women in the region closer together. The project showed women in North Karelia that ordinary people work in the IT sector and that the sector offers a wide range of job opportunities in addition to coding. The project also demonstrated that anyone can learn coding and software development at any stage of their life.

The aim of the project was to show that North Karelia also has an understanding of the technology sector and enthusiastic future IT professionals who can help solve the severe skills shortage in the sector.

Mimmit won its own award at the Nordic Diversify Blaze Awards in August 2022. Mimmit koodaa was awarded the best in the Finnish Catalyst category, which is a testament to its successful work in promoting diversity, inclusion, and community.

The podcast Teknologiapolkuja (Technology Paths) got a second season. The podcast, produced in collaboration with Accenture, found its own audience.

The program continued to operate partly virtually, which helped to reach as many people as possible across Finland. 2022 in numbers:

• over 80 events,
• nearly 6,000 participants, and
• 21 partners & collaborations with over 50 different companies.

In 2022, the second Mimmit koodaa award was presented. The award was won by Susanna Kyllönen, who works as an IT developer at Mehiläinen.

Susanna Kyllönen entered the field as a career changer, having previously worked in marketing and the restaurant industry. Seeking stability and interesting tasks, Kyllönen found the answer in the software industry. She has studied programming independently and by taking university courses.

Her enthusiasm for the field and her efforts to achieve common goals led Susanna Kyllönen to win the 2022 Mimmit koodaa award. Kyllönen is the founder of an association called Twig the Code, which encourages more women to take up coding and software development by offering educational programs and community support.

”Just go for it! You can learn anything if you are persistent enough,” encourages Susanna Kyllönen.

In the spring of 2023, the third Mimmit koodaa award was presented. The award was won by Ursula Koski from Amazon Web Services.

Ursula Koski is an active member of our community who has long and determinedly promoted the concrete skills of women aspiring to enter the IT field. She has offered numerous workshops, training content aimed at certification, and personal support and encouragement together with her colleagues.

Ursula is a gentle, warm, and caring person who wants to do everything she can to promote and secure the position and opportunities of minorities as technology creators. With this award, we thanked Ursula for setting an example.

The event also included an honorable mention for Outi Väättänen from Ericsson. The honorable mention was given to Outi, who has not been seen on the Mimmit koodaa stage but who works tirelessly behind the scenes. She has produced educational programs and events for our community and encouraged others in her own company to get involved, sparing no effort.

In 2018, we set out to break down the harmful and ethically unsustainable image of the software industry as a male stronghold, which was detrimental both to our society and to our industry, which suffers from a shortage of skilled workers.

In the fall of 2023, we conducted an extensive survey of our community (over 500 respondents) to find out, among other things, how participants felt about the program.

Based on the responses we received, we have debunked the myth that women are not interested in technology: not only do 90% of the program participants find the program useful, but 10% of the program participants have found employment in the software industry.

The Mimmit koodaa Award 2024 was presented to Reetta Siltasalmi-Kautto in recognition of her determined efforts to encourage women to enter the IT sector, promote equality in the field, and increase diversity.

Siltasalmi-Kautto is an engineer who has worked in the field for 15 years and has aspired to a career in IT since childhood. However, finding her place in a male-dominated field required determination and perseverance in the face of difficulties. To share information about the opportunities in the IT field and the different career paths that have led to it, Siltasalmi-Kautto currently runs a YouTube series featuring both experienced professionals and newcomers.

In October 2024, the Mimmit koodaa program was awarded Plan Finland’s first ever girls’ award. According to Plan Finland, the program significantly increases girls’ and women’s interest in the technology sector, thereby addressing a major structural challenge.

Plan’s Girls’ Award highlights people and communities that promote gender equality. Photo: Aaro Keipi.

The Mimmit koodaa program has grown into a significant community over the years, and demand for the program continues to grow!

In 2024

• We organized 48 events.
• The events attracted 7,756 registrations.
• Our YouTube channel garnered 1,900 viewing hours.
• Our newsletter has 12,600 subscribers.
• Our social media channels are followed by 20,542 profiles.
• Our closed communication channel Slack has 2,601 members.
• In addition, we published 14 blog posts.

Six years after the program began, our community already has over 12,000 members. Over the years, we have organized more than 350 events and offered more than 25,700 learning places.

Demand continues to exceed what we can offer.

The fifth Mimmit koodaa award was presented to Karoliina Kauhanen. Karoliina is a rare exception in the world of technology, which is also a key criterion for the 2025 award.

She is an excellent example of how much can be achieved with determination and technology. A concrete example of this is the Commu App, a marketplace for help, which makes asking for and offering help as easy as ordering food to your home.