3/27/2017 8 Comments Blog #9"Sexism in the Tech World..." Women have been in the tech world for decades, and even more have been entering in recent years. Technology is available to just about everyone, so it only makes sense that women are getting more interested in coding and computer science than ever before. I notice more and more at school how many women are in these classes. Sure, there still aren’t as many as men in the computer science classes, but at least there are there and will work just as hard.
According to this article by Kimberly Weisul there are rumors that woman are being treated the same as men and are making their way up in tech companies just as easy as men, but this isn’t true. Sexism is still as prevalent, in Silicon Valley especially, than ever. One woman was attending a tech conference with her male coworkers and afterward they all (not her) decided to strip down to their undies and jump into the lake. She was not very happy and, understandably, uncomfortable. 60% of women in Silicon Valley admit to have been sexually harassed in the work place, usually from their boss, and sometimes even male clients. This is pretty scary since I am in the tech world, and at my internship I am the only woman. If I were put in a situation like that I would simply quit and report the company to the labor board. But I can’t help but think this is only because it’s an internship and I am only profiting by experience. If I had a high up tech job, paying me the big bucks would I have the guts to quit? Or would I just put up with it, like these women are encouraged to do to save their livelihood? It’s tough. And with stats backing up the sexism in the tech world, it makes it even tougher. With women being 33% more likely to be sexually harassed in some way in the tech world, do you think mothers should encourage their daughters to learn coding and computer science? I think so. I think coding an amazing skill and more women should know how to do it. There is an organization called Girls Who Code. They are a group of extremely smart females who encourage and empower each other in a safe place. I would encourage my daughter to look into that and find other girls who share her passion for tech. This can help with the feeling of being excluded from social gatherings and conferences that 89% of women in the tech world have reported. If they are strong together, it will help them rise higher without worrying about men’s attitudes towards them. Of course women alone can’t change sexism, we need everyone’s help. Men with sexism attitudes need to stop and understand that their words and actions can be inappropriate and their advances are not welcomed in a professional environment. Unless a woman reciprocates the action, leave her alone. Another solution is to teach our sons to always respect women. I think sexism is a learned way of thinking, and if we don’t teach our kids to think that way it could help a lot. They will have outside influences, but if the teachings at home a properly implemented I think the child will make the right decisions. We should also teach our daughters so be strong and confident and to never let a man disrespect them. The more little girls who think this way will bring us closer to equal working environment.
8 Comments
Mariel Calande
4/14/2017 11:12:41 pm
I agree that I am worried about the state of the tech industry when it comes to sexism. Sometimes it's less woman hired in a company, or woman hired for the sake of diversity for a department/group. I really appreciate groups like Girls Who Code and others that are dedicated to helping girls get passionate about typically male dominated interests like computer science, robotics, game design, etc. We need to teach our children the proper way to treat each other, as well as do away with sexist culture that exists in industries where woman are constantly harassed and excluded from.
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Christian Martinez
4/30/2017 02:46:14 pm
I agree wholeheartedly. I think that sexism is far to prevalent in the tech industry and it needs to to stop now. I as a male am disgusted by the actions of the few. I want to believe that in 2017 we can live in a world where everyone is judged by their brain and not there sex. I am so happy that you brought this topic to light. Many bloggers are not vocal enough about this issue but I was happy to read your words. Thanks!
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Sean O'Fallon
5/9/2017 09:16:58 am
It's true that sexism still unfortunately exists, and there doesn't seem to be a way to combat it effectively. In a field that is primarily male like CS, I would think men would be more likely to harass women because they are surrounded by so many other men all the time. Maybe the solution is to get more women into the CS field so they are not so clearly outnumbered in the work force.
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Angela Bomarito
5/11/2017 09:43:25 pm
Hi Jenn, I totally agree with you that sexism is still very prevalent today. As a web design concentration, I've definitely had an experience or two when I was working with guys and they looked at me as if I wasn't competent enough. It's not a good feeling but I use it as motivation to do a good job. I also agree when you said that sexism is a learned way of thinking. Children's minds are so pure until you teach them to think a certain way. Hopefully now that the times are changing we will see a big change in the next generation.
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Fernando Madrigal
5/13/2017 02:14:42 pm
Hello Jenn,
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Laura Chavez
5/16/2017 09:01:17 pm
I myself have experienced sexism. Not necessarily at my internship/job, but here at school. Some males are so quick to judge and think that because you're a girl you don't know what you're saying/doing. It's really both upsetting and infuriating.
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Luigi
5/17/2017 08:52:12 pm
Excellent blog post, and I agree it is long overdue that women get recognized as equals in the workplace. This issue is gaining momentum, I have seen several articles about it lately, as well as NPR radio programs discussing it. It is inexcusable that we are still even having this discussion in this day and age, but until it changes we must keep pushing the issue out into the open.
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Lesly Garcia
5/20/2017 11:11:15 pm
You would think that because we live in such an advanced world we would be above sexism but its surprises me how we have to live with this in the tech world. This hits close to me as I am part of that world were sometimes women are mistreated just for being a woman. I wholeheartedly hope that the industry becomes more diverse and welcoming.
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Author: Jenn schopferHi my name is Jenn, I'm a Senior at CSUMB. Studying Communication Design with an emphasis in Web Design. And this is my blog! Enjoy! Archives
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