Today mark’s the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, a day to acknowledge the economic, political and social achievements of women. In the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, women from Marie Curie to Nobel Prize winner Dr. Carol Greider have made significant contributions. But there is still a gender gap. And today the United Nations poses the question: What does it mean to have equal access to education, training and science and technology for women, and how do we get there?
In the report, “Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics,” the AAUW points out that while there is an equal number of boys and girls studying math and science in high school, the numbers drop off in college and graduate programs. The report asserts that negative stereotypes – the idea that boys are better at math and science- can affect girls’ test performance. Another obstacle is that many girls believe they must be exceptional, rather than merely competent, to exceed in a male-dominated field. And new research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology shows evidence that female STEM students benefit from female instructors – same sex teachers may encourage women to remain in the industry.
Leslie Fishlock knows all about the challenges women face and the stories they tell themselves– especially about technology. Fishlock is the founder of Geek Girl Camp, which runs technology “boot camps”, where, as the Geek Girl website states, “no one ever has to feel silly about asking the wrong question and getting laughed at by some 19 year old pimply know it-all World of Warcraft cretin. With braces. And a Marilyn Manson tshirt.” Typical conference sessions cover software, social media, Photoshop, blogging, podcasting and digital photography. Geek Girl Camp educates women from ages 10 to 84, although Fishlock says the majority of women she trains are between the ages of 40-46.
Their reasons for attending are varied. Some of the women came of age – in school and work, before technology was prevalent. Others are seeking employment and there skills aren’t current. Still others don’t want to rely on the men in their lives – husbands, brothers, the guys at the IT help desk – to fix their problems. Tackling tech is empowering, Fishlock says.
Geek Girl Camp offers an impressive list of training sessions and keynote speakers. And the organization does so much more than teach –Fishlock offers scholarships and donates gently used computers to people in need. But it’s her views on women, and the role technology plays in their lives, that are even more inspiring than her programs.
When Fishlock frames the idea of women learning new skills as an opportunity to not only improve themselves, but perhaps more importantly, lift other women, it reminds us of our conversation with SheNegotiates founders Vickie Pynchon and Lisa Gates. In talking about closing the gender wage gap, Pynchon said, “We’re going to do this individually and together.”
And when she paints the picture of a young girl doing homework on her PC and turning to her techno-savvy mother for help, we are reminded of Marie Wilson, founder of the White House Project saying, “You can’t be what you can’t see.” And then, when she tells us the theme of this year’s Geek Girl Camp, scheduled for March 19 on Cape Cod, is, “No excuses,” we think of the nine power tools activist Gloria Feldt outlines in her book, “No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think about Power.” And we know the answer to the UN’s question about equal access to education, training and science and technology for women.
How do we get there? Together.
For more International Women’s Days stories visit: http://www.genderacrossborders.com/blogforiwd/
