No, I’m Not Writing This On My Boyfriend’s Computer

Girls play with dolls. Boys play with video games.

Little Miss Geek Campaign

Everyone has heard some variation on this gender divide that reinstates the cultural “jesting” message of Leave that to the Real Men. But have these jokes gone too far concerning women and technology? When such statistics as 46% of advanced placement calculus test takers are female, while 80% of them do not end up taking a computer science class (Fidelman), or when “women outnumber men at elite colleges, law schools, medical schools, and in the overall work force, but a stark imbalance of the sexes exists in the high-tech world,” there may be something more sinister happening. (Cain Miller)

A helpful anecdote, to situate my position, comes from an article published in the New York Times, in which Claire Cain Miller writes: 

Candace Fleming’s résumé boasts a double major in industrial engineering and English from Stanford, an M.B.A. from Harvard, a management position at Hewlett-Packard and experience as president of a small software company. But when she was raising money for Crimson Hexagon, a start-up company she co-founded in 2007, she recalls one venture capitalist telling her that it didn’t matter that she didn’t have business cards, because all they would say was “Mom.” 

This story is somewhat alarming in that the modern woman, statistically, has come so far in relation to technical positions. Yet, I wonder from where did this gender divide concerning the world of technology stem?  And, to go even further, why exactly do women feel the need to distance themselves from technology jobs?

It should not be surprising that this unequal relationship between men and women to technology is one that is ingrained in us early on. Have you ever wonder how the Legos always somehow tend to sit in the boys’ aisles in stores? …When in actuality, a Lego is no more a boy’s toy than a computer is. The following behind the Little Miss Geek movement, a program committed to globally encouraging young women to get interested in technology early on, shares this sentiment that “Computers should be seen as gender-neutral creative tools from an early age” (Solon).

To test this assumption that girls and boys react differently to technology, a study known as Tech Savvy, was commissioned by the American Association of University Women. Commissioners found that girls, in particular, viewed digital culture as too violent, concerning video games, and also as “narrowly forced.” The commission also found an overall female attitude of “I can but I don’t want to” in regards to technology usage. These same girls preferred to engage with technology for the sake of productivity – such as the use of PowerPoint – as opposed to “the development of programming skills for example”(Chandler-Scott, and Mahar 356-385). Tech Savvy was clear in assessing that such an outlook on the female part would greatly hinder their future success in the job world.

 Thankfully, it seems that such studies and programs like Little Miss Geek have brought much needed awareness to the issue. Where before females did not have the necessary support to encourage their technological goals, many role models have since emerged. Intel’s CIO Kim Stevenson stated to Forbes Magazine a necessary need to “show all women the impact a technical background can have on a woman’s career, and the economic potential that accompanies it” (Fidelman).  This is due to the fact that we are now living in a digital age, a digital world that is “for everyone,” so proclaims Little Miss Geek (Solon).  

Because of these emerging role models and the increased female involvement in the technological realm, it would be simple to seal this issue as solved. Yet, I find that there is more at play here. There is a difference between the private acceptance of women in technology and the public one.  According to the Center for Women’s Business Research, women own 40 percent of the private business in the US. Yet, women create only 8 percent of venture-backed tech start-ups (Cain Miller). It is evident that there exists still a struggle to publicly accept women as equals in the tech realm. Despite this unequal playing field, women have been forced to assimilate into a world so intricately intertwined with technology. Mark Fidelman, in his article “Here’s the Real Reason There Are Not More Women in Technology,” says that, “Being technology illiterate just doesn’t cut it anymore. It can’t when so many more job functions require so much more technical know-how.”

Girls shop online. Boys computer program.

The myth has not escaped us. Yet, I do believe that this issue of getting women involved with technology is one that can be solved if our society confronts the way it defines gender boundaries. Categorically speaking, gender is not a black and white issue. Especially not in 2013. It is a dated statement to believe that because one is female she will subsequently fit into a certain realm of stereotypes concerning her actions and interests. Gender has proven to be a much more complex issue than just solely declaring male or female. To delve deeper, it is the constant bombardment of such stereotypes that further encapsulate what is and is not acceptable for each sex. In order to truly fix the problem of defining a field of work, such as technology, as gender specific/exclusive, we must alter the problem that begins early on with our children. A good direction to head in would be to follow the words of such empowering women as newly appointed Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer: "Find something you're passionate about and just love. Passion is really gender-neutralizing" (SiliconIndia).  

Works Cited:

Chandler-Scott, Kelly, and Donna Mahar. ""Tech-savviness” meets multiliteracies: Exploring Adolescent girls’ technology-mediated literacy practices." Reading Research Quarterly. 38.3

Cain Miller, Claire. "Out of the Loop in Silicon Valley." International Herald Tribune. 17 4 2010: n. page. Web. 6 Feb. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/technology/18women.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&>.

Fidelman, Mark. "Here's the Real Reason There Are Not More Women in Technology." Forbes Magazine. 5 6 2012: n. page. Web. 6 Feb. 2013. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/markfidelman/2012/06/05/heres-the-real-reason-there-are-not-more-women-in-technology/>. 

SiliconIndia, . "5 Most Igniting Quotes About Being A Woman In Tech From New Yahoo CEO."SiliconIndia News. 22 7 2012: n. page. Web. 6 Feb. 2013.

Solon, Olivia. "Little Miss Geek campaign encourages more girls into tech careers." Wired. 3 10 2012: n. page. Web. 6 Feb. 2013.    <http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-10/03/little-miss-geek>.

Photo:

http://www.lindabernardi.com/category/women-in-technology-2/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19884720

Quote:

http://www.siliconindia.com/news/technology/5-Most-Igniting-Quotes-About-Being-A-Woman-In-Tech-From-New-Yahoo-CEO--nid-124153-cid-2.html