[LRUG] Ru3y Manor diversity

[Paul Robinson]

On 20 Sep 2011, at 11:45, Jordi Noguera Leon wrote:

> It's going to be difficult to have more women working as developers given that not many study computer science (or other technical degrees). For instance, when I started uni there were something like 6 girls out of 100 (or 150 don't remember) who started CS. I studied maths and for us it was more like 30 guys / 20 girls, although I know at least 10 girls dropped off...


That's one of the problems STEMnet is there to try and solve.

The reasons we're talking about women having a hard time at conferences stem from some of the same issues that surround them having a hard time in tech workplaces. Those all in turn filter back down and contribute to a lack of interest at degree level in science/engineering subjects.

The damage is actually started (if not done) by age 14. You would be amazed at how much of a negative impact 'The IT Crowd' had on perceptions of developer careers in minds of teenage girls.

These are big, complex soceital-level issues. Let's start with getting more of the women who are already in the sector interested in turning up at conferences first.

But if you want to deal with the bigger issues, I work as a STEMnet Amabassador and can confirm it's fun, interesting and rewarding. It also helps directly deal with these issues. I hope some of you consider it. The feedback I got a group of 14-year olds at an all-female Muslim school (how many under-represented minorities was I trying to reach in one talk?), was reward enough to know we can fix this in the long term if we want to.