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Thursday, 25 July, 2002, 08:03 GMT 09:03 UK
Women look to shape the future
![]() Few women attracted to work in technology jobs
Emma Smith, founder of the Wired Woman Society and co-author of Technology With Curves, explains why women need to be more involved in the world of technology.
![]() ![]() But while the number of women who use computers is increasing, fewer and fewer are studying computer science at university. It seems that women are shying away from the very careers that would give them their best shot at gaining influence and making a difference in the 21st Century. One of the most commonly cited reasons for not pursuing careers in technology is its image. Many women, particularly young women, think that technology careers are geeky, anti-social and even boring. The truth is somewhat different. Some of the most influential people are web developers, engineers, video game programmers, 3D effects creators and industrial designers, who are using technology to revolutionise the tools and content that shape our world. The technologies they create are shaping our homes, workplaces, media and worldview. Going digital For women to take their place as equal partners in the future, women who study psychology should also study human computer interaction.
Women who love history should learn how knowledge management, archiving, and content storage are setting the stage for a complete overhaul of the museum experience. And women who want to teach should also play a role in building e-learning systems that people actually use. Being able to design computer interfaces, influence privacy policy, build interactive museums and create teaching tools is what women throughout history have fought for. Even when societal norms and the legal system made it nearly impossible for women to work in information technology, they stood their ground so that today, women who want to shape technology can do just that. History of invention Looking at the history books shows that women have been creating new technologies for centuries. There are probably even more women inventors than most people are aware of, given that until the passage of the Married Women's Property Act, everything owned or invented by a woman was legally her husband's possession. Still, the patent records show how much women have contributed to the world of technology:
Yet many women shy away from the careers that will give them a chance to make the biggest difference, in part just because they do not understand them. Shaping technology Women still think that shaping technology means sitting alone at a desk, staring at a screen and writing code.
Tomorrow's leading artists, politicians, managers and interior designers will all use and shape technology in order to succeed. If women were shaping technology perhaps the next windscreen wiper would emerge alongside an entirely new web browser and cars that suit a woman's way of life. Anita Borg of Xerox PARC in California holds workshops that bring women from all walks of life together to brainstorm new technologies.
"If women were more involved in creating new technologies," says Ms Borg, "cars would have a place for you to put your handbag."
Emma Smith runs At Large Media, a London-based new media consulting company. She also works with e-skills UK to improve the image of technology careers in the UK. |
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See also:
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