So, you’re not an ACM-W member (yet?)
By Adriana Wilde
As one of the Communications Chairs for the Association for Computing Machinery’s Council on Women in Computing (ACM-W), I am very vocal about our mission, and sometimes get asked how to become a member. In fact, a while ago, I wrote about becoming a Senior Member of the Association for Computing Machinery and why that recognition was so special to me, both professionally and personally, as part of a longer journey to find my place in computing. Since then, a few people have reached out with a slightly different question. Not about Senior Member status, not about nominations or criteria, but something much simpler:
“How do I even start?”
The honest answer is that getting started is very straightforward. You join ACM and tick a box.
I am aware that this sounds too simple, which is why I had overlooked pointing it out — but it is worth saying clearly. In my experience (especially when talking to students, early-career colleagues, and women navigating spaces that don’t always feel immediately welcoming), there is often a perception that to join an organisation like ACM, there is a high threshold that you need to meet first. That it requires a certain level of seniority, or confidence, or recognition that you might not quite feel you have earned. It doesn’t.
What I want to do here is take a step back and debunk that misconception, because the reality, in my experience, is much more accessible and indeed very well aligned with the values we promote through ACM-W.
There is no gatekeeping here
Becoming a member of ACM is not a competitive process. The requirement is that you want to join this community and, on payment of the membership fees, immediately access its benefits. There are no referees to contact, no statements to craft, no anxious waiting for an outcome. You are not being evaluated, nor do you need to submit a full CV or anything like that, but simply decide to join, fill in a short form, and that is it.
For something that can open up such a rich professional ecosystem (in publications, communities, conferences, wider professional conversations), it is incredibly low-barrier (and intentionally so). That matters, particularly for those of us who may have, at some point, hesitated at the edges of the field before stepping fully into it.
It’s worth repeating that the barrier is not the process itself, but rather the assumptions around the process. Membership is an entry point to many very valuable opportunities.
It is also far more affordable than most people expect
Cost is another factor that is often misunderstood. In practice, membership is more accessible than people expect, particularly for students. The student rate is deliberately low, and it’s the kind of expense that sits closer to a few coffees than to a major investment (currently as little as $19 a year). There are reduced fees in different contexts to make sure that joining is not limited to a narrow group. This matters if we care about who gets to participate in computing, and whose voices are present in the conversations that shape it.
Of course, there are many tangible benefits. You gain full access to publications such as Communications of the ACM (in print too, subject to your selected options when joining), and you can explore Special Interest Groups that reflect your interests. There are learning resources, events, and opportunities to engage in different ways. These are all valuable, and over time, you may find yourself using them in ways that fit your work and interests. But if I am honest, that is not what I think matters most, especially at the beginning. What matters is the shift from being outside the community to being part of it.
There is something subtle but important that happens when you join. You begin to see yourself differently: not as an outsider who browses the internet, but as someone who belongs in the same professional space as the people whose work you read, whose talks you attend, whose careers you follow. That sense of belonging does not happen overnight, nor does it arrive fully formed, but membership creates the conditions for it to grow.
For women in computing, and for others who have historically been underrepresented, that shift can be particularly powerful.
You do not need to wait until you feel “ready”
Whilst I’m here, there’s one idea I would like to challenge you with: the notion of readiness. So many of us delay stepping into professional spaces because we feel we are not quite there yet. That we need more experience, more confidence, more evidence that we deserve to be present. And yet, the very act of joining a community like ACM is one of the things that can be a catalyst in building that confidence in the first place.
Once you are in, opportunities begin to appear in ways that are often difficult to predict in advance. You might attend an event that changes how you think about your work, or discuss your work in a conference (for which you might have paid a reduced registration fee as an ACM member). You might join a Special Interest Group and find people who share your niche interests. Or you might join a local chapter and support initiatives that are close to your heart. You might come across a call for volunteers, reviewers, or organisers, and realise that participation is not reserved for “other people” but is open to you as well. Develop leadership skills at the local level so you can leverage them on a global stage, with connections all over the world.
A quiet first step with long-term impact
Looking back, for me, joining ACM was not a dramatic moment in my career. It did not come with a sense of occasion or immediate transformation. It was a small, practical decision. But it was also a foundational one. Everything that came later, in particular my engagement with ACM-W and SIGCSE, followed that initial step. And that is perhaps the most important point: you do not need to map out the entire journey now. You only need to take the first step that makes the rest of the journey possible.
You can join too!
Just don’t forget to tick that box!
For over 70 years, ACM has helped computing professionals to be their most creative, connect to peers, and see what’s next. Joining ACM means you dare to be the best computing professional you can be.
Be Creative. Stay connected. Keep inventing.