As much as I dislike being asked to join a panel for the sake of female representation in tech, it feels discriminatory in reverse, but I sometimes feel that I need to show young girls that the computing field belongs to them too.
I grew up knowing a lot of female friends who excelled at and loved maths and science.
But slowly, I found myself having less and less female classmates as I progressed through academia.
When I ask these women what happen, they tell me that they can't imagine being a scientist or an engineer because they don't feel smart enough for it. These girls were geniuses and topped science classes I tell you, but they stopped believing in themselves.
Or worse, they feel that being a scientist or engineer makes them unattractive because it's for boys.
I wrote more about what I observed happening to my female friends in my story:
If natural inclination was all that was needed, all these women who have joined STEM careers already instead of hating their job as a banker or accountant or administrator.
We need to be more proactive in discouraging blockers and encouraging women to follow their passion if they love math and science.
I taught myself to code over the last year, but prior to that even though I came from a science/math background, I felt like I wasn't cut out for development. That it wasn't for "someone like me".
We cannot underestimate the impact of psychology on our choices and need to create an open environment that paints development in an accessible way.
@shiling
that's exactly the point. When programming started, as in hiring people as "computers", and the field was gaining traction, it was women that filled the majority of the positions. That was in the 1940s!
They were in those positions largely due to the US military recruiting them since the majority of men were serving overseas.
Not only did these women not get the credit they deserved at the time (but their male colleagues did), their names weren't even recorded when they appeared in photos related to the ENIAC project they were a part of.
When the war ended, sure enough the men hiring for those positions looked for men to fill them. That had nothing to do with the inclination of women at the time (cause there were a lot of talented ones who started the field looking for work, while a lot of the new hires had no experience), but more to do with the constraints society put on the genders and what roles they thought more "suited" to each gender.
That is why discussions of "inclusion" also involves discussions of "gender norms", "gender stereotypes", and a whole host of other purely social concepts that teach children what they can and cannot be.
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We're a place where coders share, stay up-to-date and grow their careers.
I agree, that assumption is a problem. It ignores the many blockers discouraging women from joining STEM careers.
There are real blockers that needs to be stopped, and the first step is awareness.
Things like disgusting sexual advancements, and assuming that a cute / beautiful girl has no idea what she's talking about:
Nevertheless, Ali Coded
Ali Spittel
I've been told that girls in computing science classes are such a treat for the boys. Creeps.
Things like lack of female representation:
My Differences Are My Superpowers
Angie Jones
As much as I dislike being asked to join a panel for the sake of female representation in tech, it feels discriminatory in reverse, but I sometimes feel that I need to show young girls that the computing field belongs to them too.
I grew up knowing a lot of female friends who excelled at and loved maths and science.
But slowly, I found myself having less and less female classmates as I progressed through academia.
When I ask these women what happen, they tell me that they can't imagine being a scientist or an engineer because they don't feel smart enough for it. These girls were geniuses and topped science classes I tell you, but they stopped believing in themselves.
Or worse, they feel that being a scientist or engineer makes them unattractive because it's for boys.
I wrote more about what I observed happening to my female friends in my story:
Trains are for boys, dolls are for girls. Nevertheless, Shi Ling coded.
Shi Ling
If natural inclination was all that was needed, all these women who have joined STEM careers already instead of hating their job as a banker or accountant or administrator.
We need to be more proactive in discouraging blockers and encouraging women to follow their passion if they love math and science.
Yes, this!
I taught myself to code over the last year, but prior to that even though I came from a science/math background, I felt like I wasn't cut out for development. That it wasn't for "someone like me".
We cannot underestimate the impact of psychology on our choices and need to create an open environment that paints development in an accessible way.
@shiling that's exactly the point. When programming started, as in hiring people as "computers", and the field was gaining traction, it was women that filled the majority of the positions. That was in the 1940s!
They were in those positions largely due to the US military recruiting them since the majority of men were serving overseas.
Not only did these women not get the credit they deserved at the time (but their male colleagues did), their names weren't even recorded when they appeared in photos related to the ENIAC project they were a part of.
When the war ended, sure enough the men hiring for those positions looked for men to fill them. That had nothing to do with the inclination of women at the time (cause there were a lot of talented ones who started the field looking for work, while a lot of the new hires had no experience), but more to do with the constraints society put on the genders and what roles they thought more "suited" to each gender.
That is why discussions of "inclusion" also involves discussions of "gender norms", "gender stereotypes", and a whole host of other purely social concepts that teach children what they can and cannot be.