IT’s still a man’s world?

By Laura Mead

Remember the 'Calendar Girls'?  Here's some people who do - Australia's 'IT Goddesses'.  In their own words, the Goddesses aim to "raise awareness of the diversity of Women in IT" and promote organisations that employ women in top tech jobs.  However, the fact that they've chosen to do this by striking glamorous poses from various famous movies has raised all kinds of hackles.

OK, so some of these shots may be a little, errr... misjudged.  But on the whole, I think this is a noble effort.  There are numerous stereotypes about the kind of people who work in IT - geeky, socially inept, unwashed, love Linux more than their own mothers, and of course, almost exclusively male - so it’s good to see a group of women help blow these myths out of the water.   However, I think it's sad that the Goddesses are being ridiculed in some quarters for what is essentially just a bit of fun (albeit with a serious purpose).

Take this comment from Silicon for example: “Women who want to be taken seriously in the world of IT have several options.   One is to get their head down and fight on through the stigmas, stereotypes and sexism… Or they can get their tits out.”

Yeah, nicely put, Silicon - though seeing as there's actually very little flesh on display in the calendar, I can only assume this is a case of not letting the truth get in the way of a weak joke.

But there's actually a more serious issue here. In an industry where women are in a very small minority, why shouldn’t they use their 'femininity' (for want of a better word) to both highlight this disparity and advance in their careers?  The corporate world is still predominantly based around an aggressive 'macho' culture, often making it extremely difficult for women to move up the career ladder - and the IT industry is a prime example of this. 

There will always be people - male and female - who use whatever it takes to promote themselves or their cause.  But unfortunately, when men do it, it's usually perceived as the 'law of the jungle' in operation... but when women do it, it's either laughable or degrading.

Still, this probably isn't going to trouble the Goddesses too much, as one of their other stated aims is to 'generate media sensation to put a spotlight on the industry' - and 3.5 millions hits on the website in one day ain't bad. Bow down and worship, puny men...

Comments

[Stephen Waddington]

Neat story Laura. But you don't share your own personal view with us for those of who want to get on in the industry; should people use their sexuality in a bid to get on :-) And where does that leave those that don't match-up in the God- or Godesslike- stakes.

[Laura Mead]

Thanks Stephen. It's an interesting question. My personal view is that there will always be those people - male and female - who will use whatever it takes to promote themselves or their cause - it’s simply human nature. I don't think it necessarily comes down to just sexuality - or indeed goddess-like status. Rather, everyone has qualities, skills and talents that, if capitalised on, could well be what pushes them up the career ladder. Of course, determining whether or not to use these qualities is entirely up to the individual!