"I’m as mad as hell, and I am not going to
take this anymore" – Howard Beale, Network
(1976)
I opened my Facebook stream Monday morning to be
greeted by an article posted by a friend about the debacle that was the recent TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon.
I usually avoid commenting on these issues. I am
more concerned about creating positive action to combat some of the negativity
caused by a lack of sensitivity or just plain boneheadness by men in the tech
industry.
But then I was virtually punched in the gut by Titstare.com and a presentation
that included simulated male gratification at what was supposed to be a leading
tech conference -- and I realized I can't stay silent anymore.
There has been much made of the gender divide in
recent years. For more than a decade, I’ve been working in technology and studying
this problem up close, which is how I came to realize there is no one silver
bullet to this issue. The solution involves many steps and many people pitching
in.
The only way to maximize the value of the
untapped resource that is women in tech is to change the culture, not just in
the workplace, but also in society.
Groups like TechGirlz and Girl Develop IT can
train and teach and create girls and women who are ready to be tech workers.
But if the culture does not change -- if women are not considered part of the
team or are thought of as sexual objects in an overt way or if we are treated
like we don't belong -- this gender gap won’t be solved. And all the work that
groups like ours do will be laid to waste.
That makes me angry.
For four generations, women have been cut,
prodded and dissuaded from the technology picture. The first computer
programmers on the ENIAC were simply cropped out of the Army’s publicity shots.
In the 1980s, the percentage of women studying computers in college began its decades-long
decline. We can’t forget the first Danika Patrick ad for GoDaddy in 2010,
though I wish I could. And now one of
the most respected media outlets covering tech allowed not one, but two,
travesties at its conference.
That makes me mad as hell.
So, let’s put this in terms that will make those
who sponsor events like TechCrunch and those that depend on educated tech workers
think twice: you need us.
The number of job openings versus the number of
qualified tech workers is widening. There are not enough men to fill open
positions. Women are getting more college degrees and becoming a greater part
of the workforce.
If you want to make sure your companies will be
sustainable for years to come, don't allow this behavior to continue.
The media frenzy around this event and the
ensuing flurry of content and discussion will fade shortly ... then return
again with the next round of idiocy.
My question for you: What are you doing to create
lasting change?
TechCrunch screwed up, issued a lame apology and
offered up a process for the next Disrupt. That is great, all good stuff, but the
most important thing was still missed: regular positive action to increase the
number of women in tech and to create a welcoming workplace culture.
Now is the time and TechCrunch has the
opportunity to make significant cultural changes. I have some suggestions:
● Assist TechGirlz.org, Girl
Develop It, Black
Girls Code, ChickTech,
CyberJutsu Girls and
the numerous groups doing the heavy lifting by helping them raise money by
getting our message out.
● Create a dedicated new channel on the website to
generate stories and videos which encourage women and girls to enter the field.
We know that knowledge is power.
● Help us with research. There is a lack of good,
up-to-date data on why this problem continues to exist. Most of our groups
don't have the resources to conduct this.
Yours truly,
Tracey Welson-Rossman
Founder, TechGirlz.org
CMO, Chariot Solutions
TechGirlz Board of Trustees
Anita Garimella Andrews
Tech Girl and VP, Client Analytics Services
@RJMetrics
Amy Larrimore
Managing Partner at The Empire Builders Group
Neelan Choksi
President and COO of Tasktop Technologies
Steve Rossman
Drucker and Scaccetti
