In January 2022, Ally Watson was awarded the Order of Australia (OAM) medal. It recognised her work in:
- promoting diversity and opportunities for women in tech
- her dedication to education and training for women and
- her advocacy for promoting coding and software development among women.
Ally founded Code Like A Girl in 2015 as a way to meet other women who code. Having moved to Australia from Scotland, Ally wanted to form strong connections and female friendships so she decided to host her own event – one specifically for women in tech.
Ally had no idea that one event would turn into many and become the humble beginnings of Code Like A Girl.