What Can You and I Do?
TeachingInsist on materials which expose girls to non-traditional activities and careers. Even if your school's curriculum is stuck in a time-warp, encourage your child's teachers to allow girls to enjoy technology. Make them understand that technology connects with your daughter's life and is not just something geeky boys do.
Always encourage your daughter to explore career options outside the box. Medicine, accounting and law are great professions in and of themselves. Yet technology has transformed these professions in ways unimaginable even a decade ago. Encourage your daughters to understand the possibilities for technology as a career emphasis in all they do and consider.
Resources
- Girls and Education
- Techbridge: Encouraging Girls In Technology
- Girl Geeks
- Tech Her
- Tackle Women in Technology
- Girls Inc.
- Women in Technology International
- The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology
- Women and Science - Why Is There a Math and Science Gender Gap?
Where It Stands
There simply is no excuse for any women of any age saying that she is not interested in computers or technology. That's like the old days when women didn't drive or go to business. Women of all ages can and must lead the way. They can and must be proactive in using technology in their daily lives and work. They can and must convince young women that technology is exciting and fascinating and that they can do it.Point out examples of trail-blazers such as Mary Lou Jepsen who founded One Laptop per Child. Make them aware of organizations such as Girl Geek Dinners.
Change has begun. Progress is being made. Once young women realize that technology is not the exclusive domain of a bunch of guys tinkering on their computers, they will begin to explore the possibilities in whatever arena interests them. Only you and I can make that happen.
