The underrepresentation of women in the software engineering field remains a challenge in both academia and industry. While enrollment numbers remain low, there is also limited research on how responsibilities and roles are distributed within student software development teams, particularly through a gendered lens. This study aims to address this gap by investigating the relationship between team gender composition, female leadership, and the distribution of technical roles among women in SE teams. We analyze data from 628 students—183 of whom were women—across 85 software development teams over seven years. Through predictive analysis, we test three hypotheses: (1) whether women in teams with fewer female members are less likely to assume highly specialized technical roles, (2) whether the presence of a woman in a leadership position increases the likelihood of other women taking on highly technical roles, and (3) whether the distribution of roles among women varies across different student cohorts. Our findings provide partial support for the first and third hypotheses. Women are generally less likely than men to occupy highly specialized technical roles; however, this likelihood is not significantly influenced by the gender ratio within teams. Similarly, while role diversification among women has increased over time—particularly in positions such as Scrum Master and Report Manager—this trend appears to be driven more by declining male participation in certain roles than by increased female engagement. Contrary to our second hypothesis, having a woman as team leader does not significantly impact the likelihood of women assuming highly technical roles. The insights from this study contribute to a deeper understanding of gender dynamics in SE education and highlight the importance of fostering inclusive environments that support diverse role exploration and long-term engagement for women in software engineering.

This paper presents a doctoral work focused on gender diversity in software engineering (SE) and specifically, it explores the effect of human-centered interventions to address gender disparities in the field. Despite increased enrollment of women in SE studies and social awareness around the topic, women remain underrepresented, facing persistent barriers and stereotypes. Drawing from extensive literature and empirical studies, the study discusses the results of a multifaceted approach, that includes diversity policies, mentorship programs, inclusive hiring practices, and other solutions. The study presents both knowledge-seeking and solution-seeking studies. It proposes a research framework to assess the efficacy of such interventions, applying mixed-methods research. By rigorously examining their impact, the study aims to offer insights into effective strategies for empowering gender diversity and inclusion in SE. Through empirical analysis, it seeks to contribute to a more equitable and diverse SE environment, fostering meaningful and sustainable change.

Conversational agents are emerging as channels for a natural and accessible interaction with digital services. Their benefits span across a wide range of usage scenarios and address visual impairments and any situational impairments that may take advantage of voice-based interactions. A few works highlighted the potential and the feasibility of adopting conversational agents for making the Web truly accessible for everyone. Yet, there is still a lack of concrete guidance in designing conversational experiences for browsing the Web. This paper illustrates a human-centered process that involved 26 blind and visually impaired people to investigate their difficulties when using assistive technology for accessing the Web, and their attitudes and preferences on adopting conversational agents. In response to the identified challenges, the paper introduces patterns for conversational Web browsing. It also discusses design implications that can promote Conversational AI as a technology to enhance Web accessibility.