This evening Im giving a talk to my daughters Girl Scouts troop about careers in technology.
Im going to tell them that women have done amazing things in tech.
Im going to tell them that they too can do anything they set their minds to in this arena.
But I will be lying to them.
Diversity problems exist in just about every company and industry (including the media).
Ive witnessed this myself and also talked to women currently overcoming these barriers.
Despite the numbers, however, many people continue to think this is a non-issue.
People continue to engage in hot debates on whether sexism and racism even exist.
Even crazier: people who advocate for underrepresented minorities end up getting harassed and called biased.
Know where we can find more talent?
Only10 percentof those currently working in information security are women.
Greater diversity means greater innovation: Having more women at the tableboosts teams intelligence.
Men in Silicon Valleymake 52 to 61% morethan women who have the same educational training.
So tech is one of, if not the, biggest opportunities available now.
Yethalfof the population is vastly underrepresented and unequally treated in this field.
Its being told that you will have a much easier time being recognized in one field versus another.
Most of these biases are subtle, insidious and therefore hide in plain sight - unchecked.
Dude, Im standing here).
What a doll you are.
Seriously, Ive actually been called doll more times than I can count.)
Male colleagues have taken over stories that Ive pitchedbecause theyre male?
Because they think theyre more experienced?
Because they see me as less competent for other reasons?
Its hard to tell.
Its another paper cut on top of the ones before it.
Sometimes the sexism isnt that subtle, though.
And Im not the only one.
I dont encounter it every day and certainly not with every person, but it does come up.
I frequently notice that when I take a stab at speak at meetings I get cut off.
For most of my career, I have been the only female in a ~10 person group.
Its frustrating and discouraging to constantly be battling, and I often think about changing careers.
I am not surprised to read about how many women leave STEM.
My white male coworkers dont have that burden.
Girls lose interest in tech when theyre told (directly or indirectly) that its not for them.
Whether that discouragement starts in grade school, college, or beyond, its palpable.
We put up with a lot of crap that the men didnt have to.
What was worse was when so-called management failed to address it.
They will ensure a supportive atmosphere exists.
It all depends on the attitude at the top.
Its up to the leaders out there to create an environment that supports them.
As Rebecca, a former motion graphics designer, put it, Motherhood was just the amplifier.
It made all the problems that Id been putting up with forever actually intolerable.
In short, women arent avoiding or abandoning tech jobs because theyre not interested or they all become moms.
Theyre leaving the industry because they feel isolated and are toldloudly or quietlythat they dont belong.
Usually this was when they were growing up, but also during their early careers.
My dad bought me my first computer when I was nine.
At college, when I needed an on-campus job the career office sent me to the computer lab.
One of the help desk staff managers was this incredibly smart and capable woman who everyone looked up to.
He didnt ask if I could do it, he asked when it would be done.
If you think about it, why shouldnt girls be turned off?
Think of what we see in movies, television or in the news.
We, as a culture, really arent doing a very good job of selling tech to girls.
Show them that tech is a tool and a set of skills that other girls like them are using.
For women in tech:Keep on keeping on.
You are not alone.
There are millions of women and men who are supporting you and want you to succeed.
Thats on them, not on you.
For companies:The solutionisnttopinkify all the devices.
And diversity training helps, but isnt enough.
As Annalee says:
Just being aware of the issues isnt enough.
The only solution is to hire more women.
Hire more people of color.
And pay and treat them equally.
For everyone else:Call out companies when they promote sexist or discriminatory stereotypes.
and have a go at stand up for the people around you.
If you work in tech, abide bythe Hacker School Rules.
Tell them why you appreciate their work and give them the public credit they deserve.
Also, lets all agree tostop referring to women in tech as girls.
However, were not there yet.More women have joined a bias class-action suit against Microsoft, for example.
But we can show them otherwise.
Illustration by Jim Cooke.
