Girls Who Code founder speaks out after Pennsylvania school district bans her books: 'This is about controlling women and it starts with controlling our girls'

Reshma Saujani was enjoying a quiet Saturday morning with her two young children when she received a news alert that Girls Who Code's book series had been placed on a list of banned books.

The series, which chronicles a group of young girls and their adventures as part of a coding club at their school, was recently added to the PEN America's Index of School Book Bans. The organization that protects free expression through the advancement of literature and human rights updates the index every year.

Saujani told Insider that he was surprised. It starts with controlling our girls and what information they have access to.

The Girls Who Code books were banned by the Central York School District in Pennsylvania, where the organization has an active club. She said the move is part of a larger effort by Moms for Liberty, which advocates for parental rights in schools.

She said that banning books to protect our kids from things that are "obscene" or "provocative" is an extreme political tool used by the right.

Insider asked Moms for Liberty to comment on the ban, but they didn't reply immediately.

Several books that tackle racial, women's, and LGBTQ+ rights issues were added to the list.

She said that the stories were used to teach children to code. It was a direct attack on the movement to get girls coding. Books are a great way to learn to code and equalize access in districts that don't have the technology.

Saujani said that removing the books hinders visibility for women in technology fields, as many of the characters are young girls of color.

She said that you can't be what you can't see. They don't want girls to learn how to code because it's a way to make money.

The authors of the Girls Who Code books spoke out about the ban.

It's true." I have been barred. Whittemore said that some people choose not to focus on how awesome and empowering and inspiring these books are but instead choose fear.

Saujani reached out to the president of the Central York School District and several teachers in the area to find out why the books ended up on the banned list.

Insider did not get a response from the Central York School District.

Saujani told Insider that this is an opportunity to realize how big the movement is against our kids. There is an opportunity to start more clubs, get more girls to code, and get more girls to be economically free.