Do you know how it feels to be a woman in computer science? I’ve tried to explain how it feels to be a woman in CS to people who are within the IT industry, and those who are not. But I still haven’t been able to articulate the feeling very well. I just know that it’s very frustrating — and it can sometimes be summarized with: “it sucks to be a girl in CS”.
I just came across this blog post by Nicole Sullivan.
For those guys that complain about computer science scholarships that are tailored for women only. For those of you who have said “who’s sexist now?” when I tell you about computer science girl camps we hold on campus, please read the blog post. Here it is again.
Thank you, Nicole.
Don’t get me wrong — I love what I do and I can’t think of another career that I would be happier with. Even if I could go back in time and pick again, I’d still make the same choices. But boy, is it a tough one.
My friend Lori just tweeted about this article found in today’s Metro, and I can’t help but share it on my blog as well.
A few quotes by an assistant engineering professor at the Dalhousie University, taken from the article:
“That’s probably one of the biggest problems we have in engineering. It’s catch-22: There aren’t a lot of women in engineering and to attract more women to engineering, we need more women in engineering,” she says. “I think any opportunity we have to put that thought in girls’ heads is a good thing.” — Corinne MacDonald
Female role models, even plastic ones, help young women visualize themselves as engineers, she says. — Corinne MacDonald
Both of the ladies interviewed in this article pointed out that they never had “female engineering role models” to look up to. Unfortunately, I think this is still the case. But considering how Barbie’s 125th career is now a computer engineer, I think this is a good start! And it’s good to know that more and more people are becoming aware of all the opportunities in the computer/IT industry, and how they aren’t just for men.
But yeah, just a thought I wanted to share. :)
