It’s no secret that the tech industry is male dominated. Sure, we’ve made incredible strides when it comes to gender equality, but there’s still a long way to go. A statistic that points to only 20 per cent of Google engineers being women is an example of how systemic the gender-gap is in the tech world.
This article is not about finger pointing, and blank generalizations because that almost seems regressive. But it’s important to understand how the tech industry became full of suits (err, maybe plaid shirts is more fitting here) because tech users are diverse and the people who develop them should be, too.
Females Aren’t Drawn to Tech…Exactly?
Biological hypothesis claims that females are inherently not as interested in tech related fields. This hypothesis, however, this fails to explain discrepancies in gender ratios across the globe. While there are only 16 per cent of computer science undergraduates in the UK, the number is quite different in India where there may be 50 per cent of females in the same class.
Even in assuming there are fundamental differences between male and female cognition, a logical explanation for laboratory findings and workplace performance is lacking.
A Culture of Silencing:
A study by Carlton Fields Jorden Burt found that in recent years in Silicon Valley, there have been increases in the use of arbitration clauses in employee contracts. This means that disputes surrounding harassment in the workplace should be settled through arbitration rather than solved in federal court.
This is more favourable to employers, and their agendas in embracing employee confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements. These protect company secrets and prevent workers from disclosing salaries and workplace conditions.These strategies to limit employees from publicizing grievances can be especially detrimental for women.
Education:
Less than one out of five engineering and/or computer bachelor degrees are granted to women. This has definite implications in the numbers outside of institutions. The National Centre for Women and Information Technology reports that six out of the 100 largest tech institutes have female CEOs.
Locker-Room Mentalities:
A study done by the Guardian revealed that around three quarters of women who work in the technology sector say that the industry is sexist. Many reported that they were denied promotions and equal pay. Additionally, a significant number of respondents reported no women on executive boards, and reported their working environment at 80-90% male.
Respondents also complained of “macho, misogynist culture, where bosses organize events at strip clubs, and comments on female appearance and bodies is the norm.”
The tech industry represents the future and includes some of the most innovative, intelligent and skilled workers. It’s just a shame that the culture of many of these companies is one that promotes sexual harassment and gender inequality at large.
The Implications on our Devices:
The result of the male dominated tech industry is that apps created solely by men cater solely to men. For example, voice recognition technologies that are tested and trained by men often struggle to recognize female voice commands. Virtual reality technologies greater impose motion sickness on women.
1.4 million jobs will open in computer science by 2020. Women will fill less than 3 per cent of those positions. Women in computer science fields have dropped from 37 per cent in 1980s to less than 18 per cent today. What can we do to make a difference?
