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I-Search Discussion List
"Social Search Marketing Technology"
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January 22, 2013 I-Search #151
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"Women in Tech"
~ Disa Johnson
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==> Women in Tech
From: Disa Johnson <>
I was recently asked to provide perspective for an AimClear post
(honored to be included) on the gender balance at tech industry
conferences. Generally speaking, there are fewer role models of
strength for young women growing up in tech, than there are for
young men. The ad industry is no exception. Even when it has a
healthier balance at industry conferences than most, it still
provides fairly good chances for women to succeed and gain public
attention. Appearance can have unfortunate bearing on results.
http://airdisa.com/151
Women in tech still have some distance to go to catch up to men,
if we ever really will. Women are not closing the gap anytime
soon. It won't happen in our lifetime. Despite huge strides in
the United States and in countries of the west, there are still
instances of bias, marginalization and even hate. There are also
things to be proud of. The numbers show gender integration is
taking shape at some conferences. When it comes to complexities
of gender equality, close is not close enough.
The subtle dismissal of business achievements credited to women
is one consequence of a public admission by organizers that they
intentionally recruit women to balance their numbers. A multi-
layered set of cultural ideas and behavioral training imparted
upon us growing up means we cannot help ourselves by our human
experience. Beliefs may never transcend our gender stereotypes.
Conferences often provide settings that can embolden misplaced
desire to dominate with a sexual overtone (by either sex).
No one is immune. To assert masculinity, some men will engage
with women in an entirely inappropriate way. In turn, women risk
everything going to a conference event alone. In my time working
at a Chicago area Emergency Room, I witnessed the aftermath of
rape, including industry conference rape. Predators walk freely
among us. Women who are strong enough to handle themselves are
still at enormous risk. When they are seen to imbibe alcohol, a
rape can wrongly be attributed to her behavior instead of the
drug slipped into her drink by a criminal acquaintance.
It is too easy to say men should act responsibly. It is too easy
to say women should submit speaking proposals and get out into
public view. Organizers have inclinations towards promoting
people who will attract repeat sales, decisions that are the very
stuff of cultural bias. Conferences with speakers that stand out
as perfectly ordinary, or too weird, will have a difficult time
economically. The arc of my own career at industry conferences
was drawn short by a pull of gravitational ideas from human fear
including perceptions about gender.
I've become a gender expert learning to cope. There are fears
women have that men will prey on. Self-imposed barriers that get
reinforced by men make up a large part of the gender gap problem.
Marginalization is one part, and to add to its complexity, the
limiting beliefs by way of a healthy sense of self-preservation
is another. Advice is too easy to give: Try to avoid falling prey
to this. Try not to blame yourself when you do. That is all too
obvious and weak. I'm definitely still learning about it myself.
Being judged about appearance is one thing. No matter how
emotionally positive I can be about my appearance today, my
scores may never do the value I bring justice anymore. If I were
a man, that would definitely be different. There is a sea of
intelligent, young and attractive women in tech organizers will
choose from to inhabit the next generation. Conference panels are
live entertainment settings meant for stoking advertising sales.
As women in tech, let's try to further evolve and stand together.
Stay tuned,
Disa Johnson
http://searchreturn.com
-disa
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