I came across an article the other day about ten easy ways to attract women to free software projects. I am not quite sure what to make of it. All the suggestions seem to me to be very obvious. Is this because I am in the demographic they are trying to target, or is it because I work in an agile environment, where processes are continually improved?
If this is not just because I am the target audience (and no one else thinks its fairly obvious), I think I am a bit offended by it. Why mask these improvements behind a drive to attract more women. Why not adopt these “relatively simple changes” to benefit all contributors, regardless of their gender.
What do you think – obvious improvements or women-centric?
Nice post.
I completely agree with the article, and here’s why.
I’ve been in software development since graduating in 1989. My class had 113 men and 2 women, and the ratios did not change out in the working world. I never had a problem with being a minority – I did not see myself as different and neither did my colleagues. I got all of the collaboration and mentoring that I needed, from men or women.
My last role was a really obnoxious one. No details, but I have lost a lot of confidence. I moved back into a decent environment and am gradually rebuilding back to where I have been before.
During my low confidence time I could have done with more mentoring, collaboration and support. The major thing that struck me was that people would take the time and effort to flame or denigrate a colleague who was less experienced, but not bother to teach them better ways. It made me reluctant to ask for help. Most of the behaviour came from people’s own lack of confidence.
So therefore in my experience I see these as good initiatives to get women into the workplace. The benefit would be enjoyed by both men and women. I do not find them offensive at all.
Finally, my last observation is that you, and I, are not the demographic that they are aiming at, because we are the 2% that are already here and are prepared to stick with it!
Nikki – that must have been an awful situation to be in. I hope you are in a better, supportive environment now. I haven’t worked in that type of environment but I can understand how it must of felt.
I think, though, that working in positive environments benefits everybody; working in negative environments effects both men and women alike. By saying that the environment should improve to attract more women sends a bad message to our male counterparts – “We don’t really care about putting you men in a bad work environment, but we shouldn’t let those purdy li’le ladies work in it”.
You should not improve your environment to attract more *women* : you should improve your environment because it is the right thing to do for all your current and future employees.
I think you have touched the real deficit – there just aren’t enough women graduating in CS/IT/Engineering. I did B of Engineering major in Software and in my major, there were about 35 people; 5 of which were girls. In my engineering classes, however there were about 400 students, I am not sure how many girls there were, but definitely lower than the ratio in Software. Most girls went into environmental engineering; some went into chemical and then only one or two majored in the traditional engineering disciplines (civil, mechanical etc).
I think the flaw with the article is it is in itself gender centric. It starts with the preconception that there is a distinct divide between certain behaviours in men and women with no overlap.
Although I agree there are distinctions in gender behaviour they are a lot more subtle than the article makes out.
Development and OSS isn’t male centric but more centered around a very narrow type of male: the old geek stereotype who has done this industry so much damage.
As a male developer I relate to all of the points in the article and I know many other male developers who would as well: focus on delivering value, communication centric, preference of collaboration, rejection of personality culture, flat structures, interests outside of programming etc.
Personally, the most insulting thing I find about the article is the negative potrayel of men, very few of the male characteristics it sites do I relate to and most of them I deem as negative.
The focus on lack of women is positive yet I think it is missing the point: the industries focus and image of a certain type of male isn’t just driving away women it is driving away men as well.