I’ve been monitoring the flap at ComputerWorld over a post about the employ of scantily-clad women at a booth at ITXpo, and I have to say that, after plenty of dismissive responses from many male readers, it’s nice to see that some men will acknowledge how difficult it can be for women in IT. Mark Golden, a ComputerWorld reader, writes:
I’m male and heterosexual, and as far as I’m concerned, any man who doesn’t notice the rampant sexism in this industry needs to have his brain replaced. IT workers must be the raunchiest, dirtiest bunch of overgrown adolescents in the nation… The whole IT culture of gender disparity and social inadequacy infects everything… A woman in a technical position in the IT industry needs more than talent and ability; she needs skin like steel.
What’s even better is that Don Tennant, Editorial Director of ComputerWorld and author of the post that kicked off the hoopla, takes the issue a step further:
I have such a high regard for the IT profession and the leading role it takes in improving our lives that I do indeed feel strongly that it should be a leading advocate for the eradication of all forms of social injustice as well. Does that mean I feel the IT profession is “above these things?” Yes, it certainly does. Then again, I think every profession should be above practices that are dismissive of women or any other group within the profession.
Mr. Tennant even posted an e-mail from reader Rita Thissen (who is also a fellow member of Systers), which should be pretty eye-opening for anyone who doesn’t think that women have issues to deal with in the IT industry.
I’ve always felt fortunate to have come up in IT in predominantly female environments — due in part to having attended and worked at a women’s college, and perhaps also due to the fact that I have worked mostly on the East Coast, where there are more women in IT. But still, I have encountered some pretty blatant sexual harassment… fortunately, my “skin of steel” helped me get through those negative situations without me losing any of the passion I have for my career in technology.
One comment
Megan stopped by on November 26, 2007 at 2:16 PM EST and had this to say:
Thanks for posting this, Kimberly. Interesting but sad at the same time.
By the way, I think you might enjoy my sister’s blog, Canadian Bacon Barbie. She writes about some of her research into feminist rhetoric and posts a lot of funny/scary things people (mostly men) used to write about women.