National WebMistress Day is observed on August 26 every year as a way of celebrating the invisible heroes who make and develop your favorite websites. A webmistress is a woman, usually an engineer, who is responsible for designing, developing, marketing, or maintaining a website. In fact, a webmistress can be any woman who is involved in the smooth functioning of anything that we see on the internet. The day also encourages STEM education among women and inspires young students to venture into fields that no one has dared to. It’s a day to celebrate innovation, resilience, and gender equality. And for that Scholaroo has worked hard on creating a list of scholarships for women from around the world in different field of studies.
History of National WebMistress Day
You must’ve heard a lot of talk about webmasters, those clever men who work really hard to make the internet what it is — so much so, that one would think that only men are responsible for the smooth functioning of our favorite websites. National WebMistress Day reminds us that in our quest to praise only the webmasters, we end up forgetting the contributions of women in the same field.And that’s why we need to familiarize ourselves with what or who a webmistress is. A webmistress is a woman who develops and maintains websites, and may also be involved in developing and marketing the website to the digital marketplace. Thus, the origin of the term ‘webmistress’ is simply an extension of the webmaster. However, Kat Valentine made the term official when she purchased webmistress.com and started working under the title in 1995. Today the website recognizes the contribution of women in tech and encourages young women to pursue a career in the same. Since then, thousands of women all across the world have adopted the title and identify themselves as webmistresses at their organizations.National WebMistress Day stresses that this job title be given legitimacy and that tech companies across the world should adopt it as a position. The day also aims at removing the stigma associated with women in digital spaces, and the workforce at large. So the next time you visit your favorite website, you might want to find out who is responsible for designing and maintaining it — and you will be surprised to find how often it is a webmistress.
National WebMistress Day timeline
The first computer programmer is born in London.
Jean Sammet leads the team that develops FORMAC, an important programming language and symbolic mathematics system.
Elizabeth Feinler and her colleagues develop the domain-naming system.
Gwen Bell develops the Computer Museum.
National WebMistress Day FAQs
What does a webmistress do?
A webmistress can keep tabs on everything related to a website. They keep a track of the performance of the search engines, functionality, speed, and design. They might even be involved in content, campaigns, and marketing efforts.
What skills do you need to be a webmistress?
Qualifications and skills include a degree in computer science or a related field, working knowledge of programming languages and operating systems, knowledge of website management tools, online marketing and SEO skills, and knowledge of IT security.
What education do you need to be a webmistress?
There aren’t any formal requirements to become a webmistress, but you’ll need proficiency in web-based skills like programming, layout, and content development to succeed.
National WebMistress Day Activities
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Endorse a webmistress’ skills on LinkedIn
If you are a webmistress yourself, offer to endorse the skills of your colleague or a webmistress friend on LinkedIn. Post about their achievements and celebrate their career successes. {[Give a social media shoutout
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Donate to STEM education
You can also donate to a local science club or vocational training centers. This is a good way to encourage young girl students to pursue a career in the digital space.
5 Facts About The Internet That Will Blow Your Mind
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Practically everyone is online
Right now, 3.6 billion people are using the internet.
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The internet is everywhere
Cutlery, umbrellas, and walking sticks are some of the strangest things with internet connectivity.
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We spend a lot of time online
An average person spends 10 hours a day online.
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We are constantly searching for something
Google sees five billion searches every day.
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Google is the most popular website
Youtube is the second, and Facebook is the third.
Why We Love National WebMistress Day
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It celebrates an underrepresented group
Webmasters are well-known but the same privilege is hardly enjoyed by their female colleagues. National WebMistress Day makes sincere efforts to recognize the contribution of a webmistress.
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Workplace inclusion is encouraged
All workplaces have a notoriously skewed gender representation. The day hopes to rectify this and encourage organizations to hire more webmistresses.
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It works towards gender equality
An inclusive workplace also means a better scope of gender equality. The ultimate aim of the day is to improve female representation in all aspects of life.
National WebMistress Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | August 26 | Saturday |
| 2024 | August 26 | Monday |
| 2025 | August 26 | Tuesday |
| 2026 | August 26 | Wednesday |
| 2027 | August 26 | Thursday |
