tag:theconversation.com,2011:/uk/topics/women-in-ict-11691/articlesWomen in ICT – The Conversation2017-07-25T00:10:22Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/798432017-07-25T00:10:22Z2017-07-25T00:10:22ZMore women are becoming game developers, but there’s a long way to go<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/178738/original/file-20170718-31776-k0zbyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1000%2C562&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Women still only make up a small percentage of the Australian game development industry. What's being done to change this?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sacramento-april-15-esports-athlete-hiddenbyart-626635895?src=48SMx2pPKXPcj0hXNKCxzg-1-29">from www.shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows a rise in the number of women working in the Australian games industry. In 2011-2012, only 8.7% of game developers identified as female, with that amount almost doubling to <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/8679.0Main%20Features52015-16?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=8679.0&issue=2015-16&num=&view=">15% in 2015-2016</a>. Still, to put this in perspective, the ABS recorded just 734 people working in the industry as of June 2016. </p>
<p>I am one of them and while the figures are encouraging, I’d argue many challenges still remain. When 47% of video game players in Australia are female, we must consider why so few are employed to make them. </p>
<p>Attracting women to the industry can be a challenge. One reason for this is that STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in education institutions are still seen as male-dominated realms and therefore, so are the careers associated with them. And as <a href="https://www.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/document/publication/WIMDI_Toolkit_2013.pdf">the Australian Human Rights Commission</a> noted in a 2013 report, male-dominated industries create a culture that may have a “higher tolerance of behaviours that could be viewed as sexual harassment” and gender biases when it comes to hiring and promoting.</p>
<p>I have been asked by young women if I have experienced harassment or sexism working in the games industry. Underneath this question is another: will I be safe? I haven’t experienced harassment, but I have felt the effects of unconscious biases in the workplace. This has taken the form of being spoken over in meetings and sometimes feeling isolated. I am fortunate that I worked with people with whom I felt comfortable enough to voice my concerns and be heard.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Women-Game-Development-Jennifer-Brandes-Hepler-Edited-by/9781138947924">In more extreme accounts</a>, prominent women working in the industry overseas have spoken of being paid dramatically less than male peers and blocked from opportunities to grow. Lead artist Jane Ng writes in the 2016 book <a href="http://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Women-Game-Development-Jennifer-Brandes-Hepler-Edited-by/9781138947924">Women in Game Development: Breaking the Glass Level-Cap</a>, that her years of experience were often overlooked and noted how “well meaning professionals could still perpetuate a sexist culture where women were continuously put through trials to prove their worth …” </p>
<p>In 2013, games studies academic Dan Golding called for the industry <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/arts/blog/Daniel-Golding/Who-makes-videogames-Australia-gender-130627/default.htm">to fix its diversity problems</a>. Last year, in a book co-authored with Leena van Deventer <a href="http://affirmpress.com.au/publishing/game-changers/">Gamechangers: From Minecraft to Misogyny</a>, Golding wrote:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It can be hard to break into the industry and stay there especially in an environment that ranges from ambivalent and unused to their [women’s] presence to outright hostility.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Game communities can be toxic from both an industry and a consumer perspective. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/sep/01/how-to-attack-a-woman-who-works-in-video-games">“Gamergate” in 2014 was a prime example</a>: women developers in the US and online were harassed and even threatened after speaking out about sexism in the industry and the objectification of female characters in games.</p>
<p>Still, Australia’s game industry has many amazing women. Recent examples of games released by Australian developers with women on their teams include <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_XGswdQKCQ">Putty Pals</a> (Harmonious Games), <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sN8CPLsuk0">Ninja Pizza Girl</a> (Disparity Games), and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7QINFi8ZKM">The Sims Freeplay</a> (EA’s Firemonkeys).</p>
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<h2>What is being done?</h2>
<p>Initiatives such as <a href="http://widgetau.org/">WiDGET</a> provide resources and a community of support to encourage young women to study STEM subjects. Girl Geek Academy was also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/girl-geek-academy-scored-1-3-million-to-encourage-1000-women-to-establish-tech-startups-2017-1">recently funded</a> to continue initiatives like <a href="http://shehacks.com.au/">SheHacks</a> (which aims to recruit 1,000 women interested in establishing startups) and <a href="http://girlgeekacademy.com/shemakes_games/">She Makes Games</a>, which encourages women to learn code, design and business skills. Film Victoria offers a <a href="https://www.film.vic.gov.au/news/women-in-games-fellowship-launch">Women in Games Fellowship</a> and MCV Pacific, a games industry news outlet, actively showcases many outstanding <a href="http://www.mcvpacific.com/news/tag/mcv-pacific-women-in-games">women in games</a> each year.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">#SheHacks encourages women to make their own tech startup.</span></figcaption>
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<p>When it comes to recruiting, there are already some games companies improving their strategies to employ a more diverse range of people. Lisy Kane, co-founder of Girl Geek Academy and Producer at League of Geeks, an Australian games company, told me, “I was the first female hired in the team back in 2014, now in 2017, we have 35% women in our team.”</p>
<p>Diversity has always been on the agenda at League of Geeks. When hiring, Kane said, “Studios need to get better at recruiting and stop the Rolodex syndrome”, ie reaching beyond those they know personally. </p>
<p>Another example of diverse hiring in the industry is Lumi Consulting, a games marketing company co-founded by Lauren Clinnick and Katie Stegs. When I asked Clinnick about hiring practices, she said: “Diverse teams can help a company gain a competitive advantage.” Diversity also fosters <a href="https://www.business.gov.au/info/run/employ-people/equal-opportunity-and-diversity">a thriving culture and better return on investment</a>. Regarding Lumi’s workforce, Clinnick said: “Most of our team are openly queer and none of us have degrees in game design, art and programming”. Indeed, many don’t realise that technical proficiency is not a prerequisite for working in the industry. </p>
<p>Retaining women already in the industry is vital as a means of ensuring they can reach <a href="https://www.wgea.gov.au/lead">senior roles and positions of leadership</a>. Giselle Rosman, Director of the International Game Development Association Melbourne, told me <a href="https://www.wgea.gov.au/completed-australian-research/flexible-work-small-firms">flexible work arrangements</a> are crucial to longevity: “They make roles and company culture more appealing as women are often primary carers.” </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Armello is the debut game from Australian game studio, League of Geeks.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>Into the Future</h2>
<p>I believe that companies, event organisers and education institutions should adopt quotas to ensure women are more evenly represented among their staff, speakers, teachers and students.</p>
<p>Golding, meanwhile, would like the industry to work with organisations such as the Australian Human Rights Commission “that have experience and accountability in terms of solving these problems in other industries”. </p>
<p>And on an individual level, we can support our colleagues by lending our voice when they are spoken over, checking our biases and asking about appropriate pronouns. All of this is vital for a safe, more inclusive industry. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>ACMI’s <a href="https://www.acmi.net.au/events/code-breakers/">Codebreakers Exhibition</a> showcasing Australian and New Zealand Women in Games will run from 25 July – 5 November.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/79843/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brooke is grateful to have received a Women in Games Fellowship from Film Victoria and a travel assist grant from the GDAA. This year she received the MCV Pacific Women in Games Creative Impact Award and she is featured in the ACMI Codebreaker's exhibition from July - November 2017.
She currently works in the Australian games industry as a writer, narrative designer and producer.
She has been on a panel for She Makes Games hosted by Girl Geek Academy.</span></em></p>Women are making inroads in the gaming industry but progress is slow. We need more flexible workplaces, and perhaps even hiring quotas, to fix the gender imbalance.Brooke Maggs, PhD Candidate in Writing and Literature, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/612002016-07-10T20:40:51Z2016-07-10T20:40:51ZHow to keep more girls in IT at schools if we’re to close the gender gap<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/129156/original/image-20160704-19124-mwhu9q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Too many girls are opting out of IT in school so we need to make it more mainstream.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock/bikeriderlondon</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The world is increasingly embracing digital technology, and so too are <a href="https://theconversation.com/an-education-for-the-21st-century-means-teaching-coding-in-schools-42046">our schools</a>. But many girls are still missing out on developing IT and programming skills.</p>
<p>IT classes in schools mostly focus on basic skills, such as how to use email or spreadsheets, or use tablets to access online quizzes and educational games. Programming and algorithm-based problem solving don’t form a part of the typical school day. They tend to get taught only in extra-curricular classes, such as coding clubs.</p>
<p>But these tend to attract kids who’ve already expressed an interest in technology and want to learn more. The students who don’t know what coding is, or who don’t identify with computer culture (often in the form of computer gaming), are less inclined to participate in these extra-curricular clubs.</p>
<p>This kind of opt-in training means many girls are missing out, particularly if they perceive IT to be a pastime for boys. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/12/toys-are-more-divided-by-gender-now-than-they-were-50-years-ago/383556/">Gender stereotyping of toys</a> may also push girls away from technical interests. Parents tend to buy gadgets for boys more than for girls, as suggested in the United States by a <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2014/10/21/357629765/when-women-stopped-coding">National Public Radio story</a> on plunging numbers of women studying computer science. </p>
<p>Or girls may not be as interested in computer games due to the lack of female protagonists, as argued eloquently by 15-year-old student – and coding teacher – <a href="http://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2016/6/202643-a-byte-is-all-we-need/fulltext">Ankita Mitra</a>. Or perhaps <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-real-reason-more-women-dont-code-59663">girls simply don’t feel welcome</a> in these clubs. </p>
<p>A recent <a href="http://digitalcareers.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Female-Participation.pdf">report on female participation in computing</a> from Australia’s <a href="http://digitalcareers.edu.au/">Digital Careers</a> group explores the lack of engagement by girls in computing. It concludes that the best strategy to increase the proportion of women participating in computing and IT is compulsory and sustained engagement with an integrated digital technologies curriculum, including gender inclusive activities.</p>
<h2>Schools must mainstream IT</h2>
<p>Digital technology skills are not going to be optional for our students for much longer. The United Kingdom has implemented a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/sep/04/coding-school-computing-children-programming">coding curriculum</a> that will see children as young as five learning to program.</p>
<p>Here in Victoria, a new <a href="http://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/technologies/digital-technologies/introduction/rationale-and-aims">digital technologies curriculum</a> came into effect late last year, reflecting the national <a href="http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/technologies/digital-technologies/rationale">Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies</a>. </p>
<p>From 2017, students will be taught computational thinking, and will learn to collect and interpret data using automated tools, and to transform data into information through digital solutions.</p>
<p>These changes require teachers who are able to deliver the lessons, and appreciate the value of the skills. The <a href="http://blogs.adelaide.edu.au/cser/">Computer Science Education Research Group</a> at the University of Adelaide is playing a vital role in preparing teachers for the new curriculum, by developing online courses that focus on teaching in the digital technologies learning area.</p>
<p>Schools also have to find place for these activities in a curriculum that is already overcrowded, forcing them to consider what their priorities for educating children are.</p>
<h2>Pursuing IT should not be hard</h2>
<p>I hosted a fascinating panel discussion on Women in IT, for last month’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/computing-turns-60">60th anniversary celebration of computing in Australian universities</a>. The panellists had more than a century of experience in IT between them, and explored the many factors that both drew them into IT, and helped them to stay. </p>
<p>A comment made by the youngest panellist struck a particular chord. Neha Soni, a business analyst at Deloitte, observed, </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I’m the kind of person that, if you tell me I <em>can’t</em> do something, then I’ll be even more determined to do it!</p>
</blockquote>
<p>An informal poll suggested that many of the audience members – largely, very accomplished women in IT – shared this attitude.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/127702/original/image-20160622-19789-1phseb9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/127702/original/image-20160622-19789-1phseb9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/127702/original/image-20160622-19789-1phseb9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/127702/original/image-20160622-19789-1phseb9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/127702/original/image-20160622-19789-1phseb9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/127702/original/image-20160622-19789-1phseb9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/127702/original/image-20160622-19789-1phseb9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/127702/original/image-20160622-19789-1phseb9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Some of the panellists in a discussion on Women in IT: (left to right) Mark Johnson (Shine Technologies), Leonie Walsh (Lead Scientist of Victoria), Neha Soni (Deloitte) and Cecily Macdougall (Australian Computer Society).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">The University of Melbourne</span></span>
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<p>This suggests that the women who are successful in IT today are <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-to-blaze-a-trail-lessons-from-9-incredible-women_us_57691b11e4b034ff3eeffc42">trailblazers</a>. They are determined, and have been willing (and able) to push through barriers to pursue their passion. </p>
<p>It suggests they have fought through <a href="http://www.geekwire.com/2014/women-tech-panel/">the myriad anxieties that women in IT</a> often express, and have survived. They have done this, it would seem, despite lack of encouragement and, in some cases, outright rejection.</p>
<p>Does it have to be so hard? Do girls need to have that fire and determination to have a successful career in IT?</p>
<p>I suggest that we have to mainstream IT, for both boys and girls. We need to make it just as normal as reading, writing and arithmetic. As normal as a career as a doctor (<a href="https://theconversation.com/female-doctors-in-australia-are-hitting-glass-ceilings-why-51325">where women may soon outnumber men</a>) or as an educator (<a href="http://www.acara.edu.au/reporting/national_report_on_schooling_2012/schools_and_schooling_2012/staff_2012.html">where women already do</a>). Something that everyone learns, and anyone who finds it interesting can pursue at more advanced levels or maybe choose for their career.</p>
<p>This sentiment is echoed by a 17-year-old student from Methodist Ladies’ College in Melbourne, <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/female-student-makes-history-and-heads-to-coding-olympics-20160619-gpmjai.html">Belinda Shi</a>, who will be representing Australia in the International Olympiad in Informatics (<a href="http://www.ioinformatics.org/index.shtml">IOI</a>) in August. </p>
<p>She doesn’t want to be seen as “<em>that female</em> on the informatics team” but rather to be recognised for her programming abilities. Being singled out for your gender is not always comfortable.</p>
<h2>Cultural change through the schools</h2>
<p>I hope for a time when we don’t have to talk about engaging girls in IT, because girls are naturally engaged in it through their learning. And for a time when we don’t have to highlight the accomplishments of women in IT, but can celebrate the accomplishments of deserving individuals. </p>
<p>A time when the cultural barriers have been removed, and it is just as easy and normal for a girl to pursue a career in technology as it is for a boy. </p>
<p>I believe that with strong integration of digital technologies in the school curriculum, that time is not far away. As girls and boys learn digital technologies together, with supportive teachers, stereotypes will fade and women and men will work comfortably side by side. </p>
<p>Studying IT will simply be another part of everyday life. Because IT already is.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/61200/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Karin Verspoor works for the University of Melbourne. She receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Defence Science and Technology Group, and the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services. She is affiliated with Victorian ICT for Women and is a volunteer for the upcoming "Go Girl, Go for IT" event aimed at high school girls.</span></em></p>Too many girls are missing out on learning IT and computer programming skills that could serve them well in the future economy.Karin Verspoor, Associate Professor, Department of Computing and Information Systems, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/596632016-05-29T20:58:25Z2016-05-29T20:58:25ZThe real reason more women don’t code<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/123708/original/image-20160524-20557-csqxgo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Blame the period! A satirical look at some of the excuses why more women don't go into ITC jobs.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://girlswhocode.com/girlsdocode/">Girls Who Code/YouTube/Screenshot</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>I menstruate and I code. I share this perhaps shocking personal information in the interest of full disclosure, and in solidarity with a new satirical campaign from <a href="http://girlswhocode.com/girlsdocode/">Girls Who Code</a>.</p>
<p>The campaign proposes a simple explanation for the low numbers of women in tech: that our hormonal cycles interfere with our ability to code.</p>
<p>Other explanations offered up in the campaign include that women can’t code because their boobs get in the way or their long eyelashes make it hard to see the screen.</p>
<p>These explanations are obviously ridiculous and therein lies the point. For example, if women can’t code because they menstruate, then there isn’t much we <em>can</em> do. </p>
<p>After all, menstruating is part of our basic female biology. If it prevents us from concentrating, or thinking rationally, or coding … what hope do we have?</p>
<p>According to the Australian Computer Society’s recent figures, only <a href="http://bit.ly/ausdigitalpulse">28% of all ICT jobs are held by women in Australia</a>. The proportion is even lower for specifically technical roles in ICT. </p>
<p>So there is certainly a basis for wondering whether there is a fundamental reason that women are so underrepresented in IT and computing roles.</p>
<p>But I’m not convinced that the latest campaign from Girls Who Code is asking the right question. “Why can’t girls code?” is a question that starts from the assumption “girls can’t code”. Is this really the prevailing attitude? </p>
<h2>Boys v girls</h2>
<p>There is, certainly, <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0148405">evidence that boys favour other boys</a> when estimating the performance of their peers in science class. </p>
<p>There is also evidence specifically from the open-source software community that there is <a href="https://peerj.com/preprints/1733/">bias against accepting code produced by women</a>, despite the overall high quality of their contributions. </p>
<p>Anecdotally, most technical women can share a story of a situation where their work wasn’t taken seriously. </p>
<p>Dr Maria Milosavljevic, national manager innovation & technology and chief information officer at the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (<a href="http://www.austrac.gov.au/">AUSTRAC</a>), told me how when she was the only girl in a year 12 computer science class, every boy in the class offered to “help” her with her assignments because they assumed she would need their help.</p>
<p>The implication seems to be that if boys don’t accept that girls can code, then girls can’t code. To me, that’s horribly paternalistic. </p>
<p>Worse yet is the idea that <a href="https://medium.com/@hardaway/why-women-shouldnt-code-82205165e64a">female biology is not suited to coding</a>, an idea that was recently floated (seriously, I fear) citing <a href="http://cercor.oxfordjournals.org/content/9/8/896.full">a 1999 study of 15 people that identified brain differences between men and women</a>.</p>
<p>Surely, there are biological differences between men and women. Periods, brain structure and so on must exclusively determine what women enjoy doing and what we are good at. Right?!</p>
<h2>Girls can code</h2>
<p>Let’s start from the default assumption that girls can, in fact, code. Nothing in our biology prevents us from being able to learn how to code. </p>
<p>There are plenty of examples that this is the case – after all, the proportion of women in technical roles is not 0%. And there have been some very high-profile female computer scientists. They include: arguably the first computer programmer, <a href="http://findingada.com/about/who-was-ada/">Ada Lovelace</a> (1815-1852); the developer of the early COBOL programming language, <a href="http://www.amazingwomeninhistory.com/amazing-grace-hopper-computer-programmer/">Grace Hopper</a>; her <a href="http://anitaborg.org/get-involved/systers/why-systers/">syster’s keeper</a> <a href="http://www.google.com.au/anitaborg/">Anita Borg</a>; and Google’s first female engineer, now Yahoo’s CEO, <a href="http://www.biography.com/people/marissa-mayer-20902689#professional-success">Marissa Mayer</a>. </p>
<p>Here in Australia, <a href="https://museumvictoria.com.au/csirac/programming/kthorne.aspx">Kay Thorne</a> was one of the early programmers of the <a href="https://museumvictoria.com.au/csirac/story/operating.aspx">CSIRAC computer</a> nearly 60 years ago.</p>
<p>So, I think a better question is: “Why <em>don’t</em> (most) girls code?” </p>
<p>This is a question that has been explored many times, and even one that I have <a href="https://theconversation.com/cmon-girls-lets-program-a-better-tech-industry-28757">written about previously</a>. </p>
<p>It is generally seen as a pipeline problem, with the challenge being getting girls interested in coding. The solutions proposed involve developing engaging opportunities for learning and creating with tech, demystifying coding and boosting confidence, and highlighting female role models. </p>
<p><a href="http://girlswhocode.com/">Girls Who Code</a>, <a href="http://www.codelikeagirl.com.au/">Code Like a Girl</a>, <a href="http://gogirl.org.au">Go Girl, Go for IT</a> and <a href="http://www.techgirlsaresuperheroes.org/">Tech Girls are Superheros</a> are all organisations working to create these opportunities.</p>
<p>The truth behind the employment numbers, however, <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2016/05/10/the-lack-of-women-in-tech-is-more-than-a-pipeline-problem">is more complex than that pipeline</a>. </p>
<p>While we know that enrolments of females in ICT courses at tertiary level lag behind males, we also know from <a href="http://documents.library.nsf.gov/edocs/HD6060-.A84-2008-PDF-Athena-factor-Reversing-the-brain-drain-in-science,-engineering,-and-technology.pdf">research done at Harvard</a> that even if women enter employment in ICT, they don’t always stay there. </p>
<h2>Beating the ‘brogrammer’ culture</h2>
<p>There have been accusations of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/06/technology/technologys-man-problem.html">a “brogrammer” culture in tech</a> that is hostile to women. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthickey/2016/03/18/microsoft-apologises-for-half-naked-ladies-at-gaming-event-and-promises-to-do-better/">Microsoft got into trouble earlier this year</a> for organising a party at a developer event featuring half-naked dancing women, highlighting that even companies that <a href="http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/events/womens-hackathon2014/">have worked to support women in tech</a> still lose their way sometimes.</p>
<p>Which brings us full circle back to our biology and the idea that girls <em>can’t</em> code. Yes, women are different from men. Yes, women certainly can code. </p>
<p>On the other hand, women don’t want to face sexism or misogyny in the workplace, behaviour that is driven primarily by their biology. If girls are getting the idea that they can’t code simply because they are girls, then it’s no wonder they don’t see coding as a viable career path. </p>
<p>So maybe they <em>don’t</em> code because someone makes them feel that they can’t.</p>
<p>The Girls Who Code campaign oversimplifies a complex problem, and it delivers a message with nuances that may be lost on the people who need most to understand them. </p>
<p>But it has provoked a question about the connection between biology and cultural attitudes towards women in tech that is worth considering. Period!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/59663/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Karin Verspoor works for the University of Melbourne. She receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Defence Science and Technology Group, and the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services. She is affiliated with Victorian ICT for Women and is a volunteer for the upcoming "Go Girl, Go for IT" event aimed at high school girls.</span></em></p>Some of the myths about why more women don’t code and get jobs in ICT are shown in a new satirical campaign. But is raising a woman’s menstrual cycle the right way to go?Karin Verspoor, Professor, Department of Computing and Information Systems, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/457502015-08-06T14:20:02Z2015-08-06T14:20:02Z#ILookLikeAnEngineer shines a welcome light on industry’s diversity<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91014/original/image-20150806-5268-12tney7.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Haters gonna Hate.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Isis Wenger/Medium</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>When a software engineering firm revealed on billboard adverts that at least one of its employees was a young woman who liked her job, the predictable outpouring of sexist trolling was promptly drowned out by a torrent of positive responses. But in truth it should never even have raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>The advert, shown above, features <a href="http://www.isisanchalee.me/">Isis Anchalee Wenger</a>, a software engineer at OneLogin in San Francisco. In an article posted to <a href="https://medium.com/the-coffeelicious/you-may-have-seen-my-face-on-bart-8b9561003e0f">Medium</a> she describes herself as a “passionate self-taught engineer, extreme introvert, science-nerd, anime-lover, college dropout, hip hop dancer, yoga teacher/hoop-dance teacher” and states the image is a pretty authentic representation of her, in a black company t-shirt and glasses. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91013/original/image-20150806-5245-ui1cfo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91013/original/image-20150806-5245-ui1cfo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91013/original/image-20150806-5245-ui1cfo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91013/original/image-20150806-5245-ui1cfo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91013/original/image-20150806-5245-ui1cfo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91013/original/image-20150806-5245-ui1cfo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91013/original/image-20150806-5245-ui1cfo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91013/original/image-20150806-5245-ui1cfo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Looks like an engineer to me.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Isis Wenger/Medium</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Yet when this advert appeared around San Francisco it prompted immediate disdain from commenters on social media. One wrote that it was an “implausible” representation of “what a female software engineer looks like”, while another called for a “friendly smile rather than a sexy smirk”. The implication is: its not possible to be both an “attractive” woman and an engineer. Isis however, is both those things and so much more. </p>
<p>Wenger’s response in the article has gone viral, prompting engineers of all stripes to post to the Twitter hashtag <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ilooklikeanengineer">#ILookLikeanEngineer</a>. At a stroke, this breaks down professional stereotypes, posting photos of themselves and explaining what they do. Out of trolling comments has come a celebration not only of women, but of engineering itself. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91008/original/image-20150806-5268-enz6xk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91008/original/image-20150806-5268-enz6xk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91008/original/image-20150806-5268-enz6xk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=294&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91008/original/image-20150806-5268-enz6xk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=294&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91008/original/image-20150806-5268-enz6xk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=294&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91008/original/image-20150806-5268-enz6xk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91008/original/image-20150806-5268-enz6xk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91008/original/image-20150806-5268-enz6xk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The advert in situ in the San Franciso metro.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Isis Wenger/Medium</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Break unhelpful stereotypes</h2>
<p>It’s estimated that around <a href="http://www.raeng.org.uk/publications/other/wise-stats-document-final">5.5% of engineers in Britain are women</a>, a figure that has remained depressingly stagnant over the past 20 years. For me, this campaign highlights three important aspects of <a href="http://sciencegrrl.co.uk/">our continuing efforts</a> to support women in engineering and scientific careers.</p>
<p>The first is that of restrictive stereotypes. These are the stereotypes that say women should be pretty, gentle, kind, emotional and quiet. They are the stereotypes that suggest that engineering is about power, strength, logic, getting dirty and making explosions. Fed on a diet of these stereotypes an <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/girls-career-aspirations">Ofsted study</a> has shown that, by the age of seven, children have a gendered understanding of what constitutes a suitable career.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"629252622827024384"}"></div></p>
<p>Both the <a href="http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/stellent/groups/corporatesite/@msh_grants/documents/web_document/wtp053113.pdf">Wellcome Trust</a> and the <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/departments/education/research/aspires/ASPIRES-summary-spring-2013.pdf">Aspires Project</a> at King’s College London have found that girls and young women are less likely to see themselves in a career in science. Parents also discourage girls’ participation in engineering – only <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/engineering-skills-perkins-review">3% describe engineering as a “desireable” career for their daughters</a>, compared with 12% for their sons. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"628406023095631872"}"></div></p>
<p>It’s evident that stereotypes restrict real choice among young women who struggle to bring together the competing identities they’re asked to manage. We must not underestimate the impact of such categorisation that not only blocks women from entering an amazing profession, but also may lead them into less skilled and lower-paid work. </p>
<p>We all hold stereotypes, it’s a sort of cognitive shortcut that allows us to make sense of the world quickly and make judgements. Most of us been brought up in a white-dominant, hetero-normative, patriarchal society. We’ve been steeped in it since birth and it’s hardly surprising that we may all revert, however subconsciously, to ingrained societal norms. But we’re also all capable of understanding where these stereotypes come from, challenging them and recognising the impact they have on people’s real experiences and choices. This <a href="http://ilooklikeanengineer.com/">campaign</a> is a great way to show the real diversity of the engineering profession and demonstrate that it really can be for everyone. </p>
<h2>Overturn cultural sexism</h2>
<p>The second key issue this campaign successfully highlights is the ingrained cultural misogyny running within those in the engineering industry, where a failure to recognise one’s “playful” or “harmless” behaviour is making another uncomfortable. As Wenger explains:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>This industry’s culture fosters an unconscious lack of sensitivity towards those who do not fit a certain mold. I’m sure that every other women and non-male identifying person in this field has a long list of mild to extreme personal offences that they’ve just <em>had to tolerate</em>. </p>
</blockquote>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"628446318499749889"}"></div></p>
<p>It’s hard to find a woman in engineering that won’t echo her words. I’ve been groped at work, been told my boss only likes me because I’m pretty, or that I should get on with my career before I start wanting babies. It’s not just that much of this behaviour illegal, it contributes to the narrative that says to women: “this is not for you”. We must, all of us, challenge that narrative wherever we see it. </p>
<h2>Future is promising</h2>
<p>I am delighted, however, to see such boundless enthusiasm for engineering – tens of thousands taking to social media to declare that they love what they do. I hope this ignites passion in the next generation and reminds those women who are struggling why they chose this career. Because when we restrict people to single stereotypes we limit their opportunities when we should be striving for workplaces that allow everyone to thrive, regardless of their gender or background.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/45750/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ellie Cosgrave is affiliated with ScienceGrrl.</span></em></p>How a social media campaign is revealing more about the good, and bad, in the industry.Ellie Cosgrave, Research Associate, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/329752014-10-14T16:41:36Z2014-10-14T16:41:36ZAda Lovelace and others inspire women in tech, but we must make careers worth their while<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/61698/original/9f5bj7bz-1413295843.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">We need women pioneers of computing more often than every 200 years.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AdaLovelaceplaque.JPG">Egghead06</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Throughout the year there are special days that see newsagents fill with celebratory cards. Perhaps <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/cards.html">punched cards</a> would be more appropriate for <a href="http://findingada.com/">Ada Lovelace Day</a>, which marks both the mathematical prowess of the woman dubbed the “first computer programmer” and the cultural barriers she faced – those women in science and technical fields still face today.</p>
<p>The woman known as Ada Lovelace was born Ada Gordon in 1815, the only daughter of Lord Byron, the famous poet and Romantic who left when she was just a month old. Her mother ensured that Lovelace studied mathematics and logic (perhaps as an antidote to her father’s literary leanings) and she took to it very well, while also writing a novel aged 12. As an adult Lovelace worked with her friend, the mathematician <a href="http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/onlinestuff/stories/babbage.aspx">Charles Babbage</a>, and significantly contributed to the development of Babbage’s <a href="http://www.computerhistory.org/babbage/engines/">Analytical Engine</a>, regarded as the first computer – more than 150 years before the birth of modern computer science. Sadly she died aged just 36, her enormous potential largely unfulfilled.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/61826/original/8zdmbt97-1413369057.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/61826/original/8zdmbt97-1413369057.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/61826/original/8zdmbt97-1413369057.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=747&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/61826/original/8zdmbt97-1413369057.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=747&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/61826/original/8zdmbt97-1413369057.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=747&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/61826/original/8zdmbt97-1413369057.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=939&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/61826/original/8zdmbt97-1413369057.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=939&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/61826/original/8zdmbt97-1413369057.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=939&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ada, Countess of Lovelace and ‘Enchantress of Numbers’, as Babbage called her.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ada_Lovelace_1838.jpg">William Henry Mote/Ada Picture Library</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>What about women and technology today? The National Skills Academy for IT, <a href="http://www.e-skills.com/">e-skills UK</a>, note in their latest report that women consistently achieve higher grades than men in IT-related subjects, but make up only 16% of IT and telecoms professionals. This may change: 135,000 schoolgirls have participated in e-skills UK’s <a href="https://www.cc4g.net/">Computer Clubs for Girls</a>, and 88% of those involved said they were now more likely to consider further education or careers in technology as a result. </p>
<p>A recently published <a href="https://newsroom.accenture.com/news/young-people-inspired-to-seek-digital-jobs-but-worry-they-will-need-new-skills-to-be-successful.htm">survey</a> shows concerns over the skills being taught. Of 5,000 UK residents aged 12 and up, three-quarters of those among the 12-17 age group felt that although digital technologies would provide job opportunities, they may not be equipped with the relevant skills to make the most of these opportunities. And it is girls especially that need such opportunities to be highlighted as realistic and rewarding, career choices.</p>
<p>However the number of women working in the field has fallen marginally this year, from 17% to 16% <a href="http://www.e-skills.com/research/research-themes/women-in-it1/">e-skills UK</a>. This is yet another warning that women working in IT and technology are not happy – why? There are many reasons that we know are frequently cited: the cultural messages girls receive about science careers, gender stereotypes, the working environment, and pay. </p>
<p>Let’s consider pay: for women in IT roles, pay has been consistently below that of male IT specialists, and e-skills UK <a href="http://www.e-skills.com/research/research-themes/women-in-it1/">reports</a> that the median gross weekly rate of pay for women IT specialists is 16% less (around £120) than the comparison figure for men working in IT roles (at £760). </p>
<p>Research <a href="http://www.eludamos.org/index.php/eludamos/article/viewArticle/vol5no1-2/html2">suggests</a> women are also less likely than men to ask for a pay a raise, more reluctant to ask for promotion, and less likely to apply for more senior roles unless they think they meet all the role criteria. Men by contrast are more likely to apply regardless. So the recent comments by Microsoft’s CEO about “<a href="https://theconversation.com/women-have-played-a-key-role-in-tech-so-we-cant-just-trust-the-system-to-close-pay-gap-32864">trusting in karma</a>” to get a pay rise caused considerable backlash (a good indicator of what women think of the matter). Such comments fail to take into account the consistent disparity experienced by women working in technology.</p>
<p>Great things <a href="http://women.cs.cmu.edu/ada/Resources/Women/">have been and continue to be achieved</a> by women in tech, but to recruit, retain and promote women in the sector we need to level the playing field, and pay is a good place to start.</p>
<p>Women are making strides across many professions and areas. The first all-women team in ten years just set sail on the <a href="http://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/home.html">Volvo Ocean Race</a>, regarded as the toughest race in professional sailing. The race runs over nine months across almost 40,000 nautical miles. There have been four other female teams in the history of the race, but this is the first team with the funding and training to be <a href="http://teamsca.com/blog/its-still-not-the-southern-ocean">serious contenders</a>. Those women working in science and technology would be glad of such a vote of confidence and support.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/32975/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jan Bogg has received EU research funding for her work on women in science and works nationally with the Athena SWAN Charter on recognising commitment to advancing women's careers in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment in higher education and research.</span></em></p>Throughout the year there are special days that see newsagents fill with celebratory cards. Perhaps punched cards would be more appropriate for Ada Lovelace Day, which marks both the mathematical prowess…Jan Bogg, Senior lecturer, University of LiverpoolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/328642014-10-13T11:44:37Z2014-10-13T11:44:37ZWomen have played a key role in tech – so we can’t just trust the system to close pay gap<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/61528/original/zrrh7w3r-1413198011.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Have you got a supercomputer named after you, Satya? And no it doesn't run Windows.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.nersc.gov/users/computational-systems/hopper/">NERSC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>I’m not a fan of karma. I’m still waiting for it to come back to the child in my class who pushed me over in the playground and chipped my tooth. That was in 1983 so I’ve been waiting quite a while. By that reckoning, I’m not sure I want to wait 31 years for a pay rise. </p>
<p>Microsoft’s new CEO <a href="http://gracehopper.org/speakers-honorees/speakers/satya-nadella/">Satya Nadella</a>, speaking at the <a href="http://gracehopper.org/">Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing</a> event last week, was asked what advice he would give to women who aren’t comfortable asking for a raise. He said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It’s not really about asking for the raise, but knowing and having faith that the system will actually give you the right raises as you go along. Because that’s good karma. It’ll come back because somebody’s going to know that’s the kind of person that I want to trust.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>For those unfamiliar with the US Navy Rear Admiral <a href="http://www.wired.com/2014/10/grace-hopper-letterman/">Grace Murray Hopper</a>, she was an early computing pioneer. Hopper pushed forward the field of programming, created the <a href="http://www.faircom.com/ace/enl_23_s08_t.php">first compiler</a>, and was key in the development of the modern computer, earning her the nickname “Queen of Software” and “Amazing Grace”. She has a <a href="http://www.hopper.navy.mil/">warship</a> and a <a href="https://www.nersc.gov/users/computational-systems/hopper/">Cray supercomputer</a> named after her. </p>
<p>The conference bearing her name is organised by and for female computer scientists, bringing women together from across the world to explore, address and compare the challenges of being a woman in technology. For the 2,000+ women attending, being told by an industry leader to sit back and trust the system is, at best, insulting and, at worst, dangerous.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"520311425726566400"}"></div></p>
<p>Following a subsequent storm of criticism, Nadella went on to clarify that he was wrong to say women should rely on “karma” to reward them appropriately. However, at that stage he didn’t contradict his statement; rather, he claimed he didn’t articulate it correctly. How he meant to explain it, he said, is that women should trust that the system will recognise their contribution (with the added implication that if they keep their mouth shut and behave, their bosses will look more favourably upon them). </p>
<p>Forgive me if I remain sceptical and unimpressed. </p>
<p>We know there is a gender pay gap. We know that women are <a href="http://www.techrepublic.com/article/the-state-of-women-in-technology-15-data-points-you-should-know/">significantly unrepresented in technology industries</a>. Why then should it be a surprise if women don’t trust a system where the odds are already stacked against them? </p>
<p>Nadella later followed up (the less charitable might say “backtracked”) with the line “if you think you deserve a raise, <a href="http://news.microsoft.com/2014/10/09/satya-nadella-email-to-employees-re-grace-hopper-conference/">you should just ask</a>”. It’s a nice, simple idea – but research has previously shown that women are <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/aug/27/women-wont-ask-pay-rises">much more reluctant</a> to ask for promotion or a raise, and if they do, they are much <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-leadership/for-women-in-business-the-squeaky-wheel-doesnt-get-the-grease/2012/01/09/gIQAGRuqlP_story.html">more likely to be treated harshly</a> than a man making the same request. </p>
<p>Nadella’s comments come two weeks after the Royal Society announced it would be looking into the reasons why, of the <a href="https://royalsociety.org/news/2014/university-research-fellowships/">43 individuals</a> who won their University Research Fellowships in 2014, <a href="http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/success-rate-for-women-on-royal-society-fellowship-tumbles/2015983.article">only two were women</a>. Again, women being reluctant to put themselves forward could well be a factor in this: women accounted for 19% of applications for the URF scheme but only accounted for 13% of those shortlisted, 9% of those interviewed and <a href="http://blogs.royalsociety.org/in-verba/2014/09/24/gender-balance-among-university-research-fellows/">less than 5% of those awarded</a>.</p>
<p>I’d rather not leave it up to karma, so I’m asking this: Satya Nadella, could we please have more women in Microsoft? Perhaps more than the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/diversity/inside-microsoft/default.aspx#fbid=cAF575g35Jq">current 17.1%</a> female technical and engineering staff? And maybe more than two women on your board of directors? And maybe paid equally, rather than just <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/10/microsoft-chief-women-pay-rise-satya-nadella-apologies">78% of the salary of their male colleagues</a>? And then maybe other companies will take note and follow suit, and you can bask in the warmth of the good karma that you’ve engendered.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/32864/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Devlin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>I’m not a fan of karma. I’m still waiting for it to come back to the child in my class who pushed me over in the playground and chipped my tooth. That was in 1983 so I’ve been waiting quite a while. By…Kate Devlin, Lecturer, Department of Computing, Goldsmiths, University of LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/310592014-09-07T20:38:56Z2014-09-07T20:38:56ZWe need to talk about the sexual abuse of scientists<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/58319/original/2rn9xkpj-1409896603.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Scientists can be victims of sexual abuse from their peers just as in any institution.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Minerva Studio</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The life sciences have come under fire recently with a study <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0102172">published in PLOS ONE</a> that investigated the level of sexual harassment and sexual assault of trainees in academic fieldwork environments.</p>
<p>The study found 71% of women and 41% of men respondents experienced sexual harassment, while 26% of women and 6% of men reported experiencing sexual assault. The research team also found that within the hierarchy of academic field sites surveyed, the majority of incidents were perpetrated by peers and supervisors.</p>
<p>As a rape survivor, I speak from a place of support for victims of sexual assault and harassment. </p>
<p>In an age where more young people, women in particular, are the target of social media campaigns after their rape and sexual assault (see the incidents at <a href="http://www.thewire.com/national/2013/01/inside-anonymous-hacking-file-steubenville-rape-crew/60502/">Steubenville</a> and <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/18/living/jada-iamjada-teen-social-media/">Houston</a> in the US alone), this support work becomes critical.</p>
<h2>The shocking figures on sexual assault</h2>
<p>A number of other highly publicised cases of sexual violence and murder of women led to a study to determine the true extent of such abuse.</p>
<p>The results, published in the medical journal <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673613622436">The Lancet</a> in February this year, estimated 12% of women had experienced non-partner sexual violence in Western Europe (Switzerland, Spain, Isle of Man, Sweden, UK, Denmark, Finland, Germany), as well as 13% of women in the US and Canada and 16% of women in Australia and New Zealand.</p>
<p>A common theme in many cases of sexual assault is that the abusers are known to the people, and are usually in positions of power or trust. Yet a culture of silence allows the abuse to continue with the abusers unchallenged.</p>
<p>In the <a href="http://www.salon.com/2014/04/28/the_monster_myth_what_i_learned_from_seeing_my_wifes_killer_in_court/">words of Thomas Meagher</a>, the husband of the late Jill Meagher who was raped and murdered by a stranger in Melbourne:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The more I felt the incredible support from the community, the more difficult it was to ignore the silent majority whose tormentors are not monsters lurking on busy streets, but their friends, acquaintances, husbands, lovers, brothers and fathers.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>That’s why the prevalence of harassment from within the research community reported by the PLOS ONE study is particularly alarming.</p>
<p>Scientists rely heavily on their supervisors for recommendations and career advancement. Our peers also become an important part of our professional network for grant reviewing and research collaborations.</p>
<p>I have been fortunate to have excellent mentors, both men and women scientists, who have been supportive of my personal and professional development and my passion to speak publicly as a rape survivor.</p>
<h2>The need for policies to deal with sexual assault</h2>
<p>Other scientists have been the victim of some form of sexual assault or harassment by their peers or supervisors. The support of institutionalised policies that specifically deal with such abuse would provide access to the appropriate reporting strategies and a wealth of resources to help them heal.</p>
<p>Although not explicitly stated as one of the tenets of the <a href="http://www.ecu.ac.uk/equality-charter-marks/athena-swan/">Athena SWAN Charter</a> in the UK, the idea of a policy condemning and creating ramifications for sexual assault and harassment fits in with their stated goals of advancing women’s careers and employment in higher education and research in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM).</p>
<p>As I recommended recently in the scientific journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v512/n7513/full/512136d.html">Nature</a>, a sexual assault and sexual harassment policy for research institutes would be immensely useful.</p>
<p>In this way, a statement could be made in line with existing policy frameworks for academic, industry and government laboratories. But to honestly reflect the reality that men and members of the transgender community are also both researchers and rape survivors, the policy needs to be inclusive across the board.</p>
<p>As an early-career researcher myself, I was particularly disappointed at the prevalence of sexual assault and harassment by supervisors reported in the PLOS ONE study. I was also saddened by the subsequent lack of satisfaction with outcomes among those who reported the harassment.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/58216/original/5hjtzsw2-1409803940.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/58216/original/5hjtzsw2-1409803940.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/58216/original/5hjtzsw2-1409803940.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/58216/original/5hjtzsw2-1409803940.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/58216/original/5hjtzsw2-1409803940.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/58216/original/5hjtzsw2-1409803940.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/58216/original/5hjtzsw2-1409803940.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/58216/original/5hjtzsw2-1409803940.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Visual representations of respondents to the survey, their experiences, and who were aware of, made use of, and were satisfied by mechanisms to report unwanted physical contact. Each circle represents one survey respondent.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Clancy et al. 2014 PLOS ONE 9: e102172</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Many early career researchers are on short-term contracts (of three, six or 12 months) that need to be reviewed by their supervisors. A move to more long-term funding schemes for such researchers could help relieve the pressure of asking a harassing supervisor or peer for recommendations, or having to explain why a reference is not made available on new job applications.</p>
<p>Reducing our dependence on the gospel of the student-supervisor relationship would be good for researchers who have experienced this type of sexual assault or harassment from their supervisor or peers.</p>
<h2>Learn from others overseas</h2>
<p>For those who are interested in creating a policy on abuse but are unsure of where to start, there are many resources available online.</p>
<p>In the US, the White House has put together a task force against sexual assault in higher education institutions. It has published a <a href="https://www.notalone.gov/schools/">Guide to Drafting a Sexual Assault Policy</a> that is widely applicable, complete with a handy <a href="https://www.notalone.gov/assets/checklist-for-campus-sexual-misconduct-policies.pdf">checklist</a>.</p>
<p>Our colleagues in the humanities have already developed several such policies as part of a larger professional ethics statement, including the American Philosophical Association’s <a href="http://www.apaonline.org/?harassment">Statement on Sexual Harassment</a> and the Modern Language Association’s <a href="http://www.mla.org/repview_profethics">Statement of Professional Ethics</a>.</p>
<p>Proactive strategies targeting sexual assault and sexual harassment can prevent interference with the core work of researchers — to discover new knowledge and translate this for the benefit of the community.</p>
<p>Each research organisation can draft a sensible, comprehensive equity policy that condemns sexual assault, sexual harassment and discrimination based on race, gender or sexual orientation.</p>
<p>This provides clear repercussions for students and faculty who transgress the policy. It also provides a mechanism for the consistent application of those repercussions (such as an impartial ombudsperson or trained adjudication committee).</p>
<p>With guidelines in place, we could make great strides towards ensuring all scientists – whether in the lab or the field – feel safe and valued.</p>
<hr>
<p><em><a href="https://www.1800respect.org.au/">1800 RESPECT</a> (1800 737 732) is the National Sexual Assault, Family & Domestic Violence Counselling Line for any Australian who has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault, and <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/">Lifeline</a> (131 114) provides national crisis support. Both operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.</em> <br></p>
<p><em>Maggie Hardy will be on hand for an Author Q&A session between 11am and noon today (September 8). Post any questions to her in the comments below.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/31059/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Maggie Hardy does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The life sciences have come under fire recently with a study published in PLOS ONE that investigated the level of sexual harassment and sexual assault of trainees in academic fieldwork environments. The…Maggie Hardy, Research Fellow, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/287572014-07-28T20:25:15Z2014-07-28T20:25:15ZC'mon girls, let’s program a better tech industry<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/55009/original/q52vp7s4-1406524878.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Women can help deal with a shortfall of people in ICT industries.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/european_parliament/8704362988">Flickr/European Parliament</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Twitter is the latest tech company to reveal figures showing women are still underrepresented in the information and communication technology (<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-got-ict-talent-so-how-do-we-make-the-most-of-it-22842">ICT</a>) workforce.</p>
<p>Men make up 70% of the overall staff and women just 30%, according to a <a href="https://blog.twitter.com/2014/building-a-twitter-we-can-be-proud-of">blog post</a> by Janet Van Huysse, the company’s vice president for diversity and inclusion.</p>
<p>But within technical jobs at the social media giant only one in ten of employees are women, she also revealed.</p>
<p>Lately everyone seems to be talking about attracting women to ICT. Last year, Stanford University released the <a href="http://sheplusplus.stanford.edu/">She++</a> documentary about recruiting women to study computing that was screened in 11 countries.</p>
<p>Google made a big splash last month with its new venture, <a href="https://www.madewithcode.com/">Made with Code</a>, aimed at inspiring girls to try coding.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aFF8PYDU0D8?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Other ventures include <a href="http://www.techgirlsmovement.org/">TechGirls</a>, <a href="http://digitaldivasclub.org/">Digital Divas</a> and <a href="http://www.robogals.org/">RoboGals</a>.</p>
<h2>Why the focus on girls and women?</h2>
<p>Twitter isn’t the only ICT company in which women are vastly underrepresented.</p>
<p>Pinterest has <a href="http://engineering.pinterest.com/post/92753543099/diversity-and-inclusion-at-pinterest">also revealed</a> that only 40% of its overall staff are women and that figure drops to just 21% of the technical workforce.</p>
<p>Google <a href="http://www.google.com/diversity/at-google.html">said in May</a> that 30% of its overall workforce is female, although only 17% of its technical workforce. <a href="http://blog.linkedin.com/2014/06/12/linkedins-workforce-diversity/">LinkedIn</a> and <a href="http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2014/06/building-a-more-diverse-facebook/">Facebook</a> have similar numbers.</p>
<p>Australia’s gender numbers look much the same. A <a href="https://acs.org.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/28570/Australian-ICT-Statistical-Compendium-2013.pdf">2013 survey</a> by the Australian Computer Society found that women made up 28% of all ICT workers across a range of industries, and about 18% of the technical and professional workforce within the ICT industry itself.</p>
<h2>Why does this matter?</h2>
<p>The ICT sector is doing well, regardless of this gender imbalance. Technology is one of the primary drivers of the modern economy and a sector where productivity is rapidly increasing.</p>
<p>Salaries are good and rising. Job growth has remained consistent, despite the current economic crisis. But Europe <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/newsroom/cf/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=5824">projects a deficit</a> of at least 700,000 skilled ICT workers by 2015, and the Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency <a href="http://www.awpa.gov.au/our-work/sector-specific-skill-needs/Pages/ICT%20workforce%20study.aspx">projects shortfalls</a> in most ICT occupations by 2025.</p>
<p>An ICT workforce without women is bad for women. Women will be left behind economically. Women will be shut out of some of the most influential positions in industry and government due to lack of relevant skills and experience. Women’s interests will not be adequately represented in the products and services produced by the ICT industry.</p>
<p>An ICT workforce without women is bad for the ICT industry and more broadly for the economy. If women do not enter the industry, it will be difficult to meet projected demand for ICT skills.</p>
<p>Perhaps more importantly, diversity is good for business. According to the US <a href="http://www.ncwit.org/ncwit-fact-sheet">National Center for Women in Technology</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Groups with greater diversity solve complex problems better and faster than do homogenous groups, and the presence of women in a group is more likely to increase the collective intelligence of the group.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Why is this happening?</h2>
<p>University enrolments in ICT tell a clear story: women are not choosing to study courses that lead (directly) to ICT careers. Completions of ICT degrees are down across the board, approximately 30% since 2003.</p>
<p>The relative proportion of women has decreased as well. Only 19% of ICT enrolments in Australia in 2013 were of women, down from <a href="http://highereducationstatistics.education.gov.au/">25% in 2001</a>.</p>
<p>This then begs the question of why women aren’t studying ICT. The Victorian <a href="http://dsdbi.vic.gov.au/our-department/strategies-and-initiatives/victorian-ict-workforce-development-plan">ICT Development Plan</a> cites research that confirmed negative and stereotypical attitudes to ICT careers among high school students.</p>
<p>A Victorian study suggests that lack of early exposure to software tools impacts female students’ <a href="http://www.ijikm.org/Volume5/IJIKMv5p237-260Miliszewska452.pdf">interest in ICT</a>.</p>
<h2>Is there a solution?</h2>
<p>There are general programs aimed at stimulating interest in ICT among young people, such as the <a href="http://www.ichoosetechnology.com.au/">Digital Careers program</a> and the <a href="http://www.ncss.edu.au/">National Computer Science School</a>.</p>
<p>But such programs typically attract students who are already interested in technology, rather than providing a venue to discover a new interest. As a case in point, when I offered a term-long <a href="http://csunplugged.org/">Computer Science Unplugged</a> enrichment class at my daughter’s primary school, the students who signed up were all boys who were avid gamers (plus my daughter).</p>
<p>Career expos can go some way to highlighting career paths and identifying the tremendous opportunities available in technology, possibly also correcting misconceptions about the impact of off-shoring on ICT jobs.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/54998/original/c29dnwft-1406519992.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/54998/original/c29dnwft-1406519992.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/54998/original/c29dnwft-1406519992.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=328&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/54998/original/c29dnwft-1406519992.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=328&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/54998/original/c29dnwft-1406519992.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=328&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/54998/original/c29dnwft-1406519992.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=412&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/54998/original/c29dnwft-1406519992.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=412&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/54998/original/c29dnwft-1406519992.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=412&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An early start is a great way to get girls interested in ICT.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/barsen/5466781508">Flickr/Ed Ivanushkin</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Capturing girls’ interest</h2>
<p>So, if we can agree that we want more women in tech, how do we draw them in?
Here are my suggestions, based on my personal experience as a woman and a computer scientist.</p>
<h3><em>DO</em> start early</h3>
<p>We must engage girls in ICT long before tertiary education, preferably starting in primary school. While our young students gain basic computer literacy, the focus is too much on <em>using</em> computers, and not enough on <em>innovating</em> through them.</p>
<h3><em>DO</em> provide opportunities for girls to experience the creative side of ICT</h3>
<p>With visual programming tools such as MIT’s <a href="http://scratch.mit.edu">Scratch</a> and Carnegie Mellon’s <a href="http://www.alice.org/">Alice</a> (used in New Zealand’s <a href="http://www.pc4g.org.nz/">Programming Challenge 4 girls</a>), it’s easier than ever to jump right in to building things with code. Similarly fun, hands-on projects are available for other areas of ICT.</p>
<h3><em>DO</em> highlight role models and diverse career paths</h3>
<p>It’s not easy to aspire to be part of an industry where you can’t see yourself in the people already there. One of the more inspiring experiences of my career was attending the <a href="http://gracehopper.org/">Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing</a>, simply because it was a convention centre full of females excited about technology. Who knew there were so many of us? We’ll be trying to do that here in Victoria next month, with the <a href="http://gogirl.org.au/">Go Girl, Go for IT</a> event aimed at female high school students.</p>
<h3><em>DON’T</em> overly stereotype girls</h3>
<p>In an attempt to target ICT activities specifically at girls, it is important not to go overboard in making those activities too “girly”. US high school student Abby Wheat <a href="http://thewesternhemisphere.org/1157/opinion/dont-make-everything-pink/">wrote eloquently</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Do people really think that the only way you will ever get a girl to write coding for innovative software is to stick a butterfly somewhere in there?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Google’s Made with Code <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/How-not-to-attract-women-to-coding-Make-tech-pink-5602104.php">has been criticised</a> for starting with a project that creates jewellery with code. </p>
<p>Jewelry, pink and sparkles don’t appeal to all girls. More importantly, it reinforces the message that girls in ICT are outsiders and need their own special (separate) space to do ICT. Women should be drawn into the common space, not a pink-walled zone.</p>
<h2>Now, about those stereotypes …</h2>
<p>When young people think of ICT, they apparently imagine a nerdy hacker working in solitude in a dark room (or so my teenager tells me). This simply does not reflect the reality of the many collaborative and creative ICT workplaces.</p>
<h3><em>Misconception #1:</em> ICT requires mathematical skills</h3>
<p>There are many aspects of ICT that don’t use mathematics at all. Web programming and software engineering are much more about algorithms – a sequence of instructions that a computer must follow to solve a problem or to respond appropriately to a request.</p>
<h3><em>Misconception #2:</em> Programming is logical and sterile</h3>
<p>Programming does require translating an idea into a logical breakdown of that idea that a computer can understand. In my experience the process of working out that logic often requires tremendous creativity. Solutions to problems are not always obvious, and there may be many different ways to solve the same problem.</p>
<h3><em>Misconception #3:</em> People who work in ICT aren’t social</h3>
<p>As technology becomes more complex, diverse project teams must work together to design and build solutions. Teams might involve a user experience expert, a graphic designer, a database expert, a domain expert and programmers with various areas of focus.</p>
<p>Many of these suggestions apply equally to boys and girls. But girls do seem to be disproportionately disinterested in ICT.</p>
<p>Targeted action is needed to help girls find rewarding career paths in ICT, and to support them to stay on those paths. The effort will pay off in innovation benefiting us all.</p>
<p>C'mon girls, ICT is fun!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/28757/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Karin Verspoor is currently a volunteer for the organising committee of Go Girl, Go for IT, presented by VicICTForWomen. She previously worked for NICTA, which hosts the Digital Careers program.</span></em></p>Twitter is the latest tech company to reveal figures showing women are still underrepresented in the information and communication technology (ICT) workforce. Men make up 70% of the overall staff and women…Karin Verspoor, Associate Professor, Department of Computing and Information Systems, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.