Finding your feminist voice*

This is a shortened version of my 'Women in Tech' talk at University of Sheffield for International Women's Day 2019 #IWD

Photo of the women of steel statue in Sheffield wrapped in purple banners saying SheFest Votes for Women
Photo of the women of steel statue & I later joined SheFest 

This is a shortened version of my 'Women in Tech' talk at University of Sheffield for International Women's Day 2019 (IWD) and I've retained mainly my personal reflections. Some of these reflections have been said by many people before and they still aren't being heard or acted on (me included).  Initially published in March 2019.

Since the talk I stepped back from the women in tech group I refer to and I've since written more.  

I was asked to talk about - when did I start to feel a feminist? When did I realise it was important? I’m going to take you back to pre-internet times.

Benny Hill and Kenny Everett were on TV. I grew up reading Famous Five and wondering why Georgina had to shorten her name to George so she could climb trees. I then found John Peel on BBC radio and the NME - discovering women could make music how I could feel.

My A Level teacher introduced me to Margaret Atwood and Fay Weldon. I bought the Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf** in '91 - I almost breathed it in. The chapter on food was already under my skin as my on/off relationship with eating was forming. Feminism was a feeling then, a sense about how women were treated and viewed - that it wasn’t right.

I was also asked to talk about ShfWIT - Sheffield women in tech. (Update: I stepped back from ShfWIT in Oct '19 and have written about that too).

I got involved because women are under-represented within the tech industry and there are lots of reasons for this but I’ll skip to one - sexism.

Sexism doesn’t just happen. It takes planning - people have put structures and processes in place to facilitate it. People think the actions they take are the norm - but they are only their norm. The second book I’d like to mention is 'Programmed Inequality: How Britain Discarded Women Technologists and Lost Its Edge in Computing' by Marie Hicks.

The book outlines how, in the 1960s as programming was getting more powerful, the Government decided to centralise all Government computing. It wanted to ensure continued control of payroll, tax and utilities. They created ‘technocrats’ - these were people who would manage people and the technology. They intentionally did not want to give those roles to women. Women weren’t seen as management material - that ring a bell?

Women were the programmers back then so they were asked to train the men. The men would get promoted, the men would get the pay rises. The men didn’t want to stay as programmers - they wanted management. Programming wasn’t yet viewed sufficiently as a valued skill.

Guess what? The Government ended up with severe skill shortages - woman in those roles were forced out - often following marriage or becoming mothers.

I wonder what policies, practices and procedures employers have now, which in let’s say 5 years, will be seen as an historical embarrassment?

Back to Sheffield women in tech (ShfWIT).

About 80 people attended the first drop-in event and seemed (and I’m making an assessment by appearance only here) to include a range of people. We asked what was wanted from ShfWIT and these are some of the responses:

  • I want to share knowledge, have more events and network with other women
  • I want sessions to help empower me - to challenge sexist views, such as women can't code
  • To reinforce you don’t have to be techy to be work in digital
  • To remember that equality and inclusion isn’t just for white women
  • To challenge the view it’s ok to not fit in with the guys.

At all ShfWIT events we provide time for people to chat before and after any speakers and I love how much that happens. Something different happens when you have a group of women together. When I say women - I mean cis and transgender - and I wouldn't be part of a women in tech group which did not say this too.

Then there’s #TechTea. (As with ShfWIT, I also stepped back from hosting this & it may not currently be running)

It’s now every couple of months at Birdhouse Cafe (note the above update as I know no longer attend this) - about 20 people attend, a mix of becoming regulars, people I know and people I don’t. I’m conscious that it’s timing, marketing and lack of structure may not be right for some people but #TechTea is simply trying to create a different space:

  • Its about creating an environment where people can talk about and be themselves
  • It’s about listening to and connecting people and groups which already exist in Sheffield
  • Its about showing and sharing what others are doing - you can’t be what you can’t see.

Can you sense a BUT?

I don’t want to repeat mistakes from the past and re-create current structures - thinking back to the book by Marie Hicks. There’s a risk I’ll do that. I want to challenge assumptions - thinking about another book - 'Inferior' by Angela Saini. There’s a risk I won’t encourage and build that.

I'm a getting older, straight, cis white woman. I have liberal beliefs which I’m going to assume would fit ok with this room. I will have experienced sexism because I’m a woman and I’ve also unearned privilege because of the colour of my skin and my sexuality.

I’ve worked with only men and walked into events where I’ve been the only women. I know how that feels. I’ve rarely been the only white person in the room. I’ve never been the only person who seems to not have hidden or visible disabilities. I don’t know how that feels.

Too often I’ve gone to events and celebrations/awards which have been pitched as diversity, inclusion, empowerment - often hosted by organisations with lots of people and cash - and found everyone looks a bit like me (white and a woman) and/or seem to be from a similar background. Again, I know I'm making assessments based on appearance only.

I want to help build a (women in) tech community in Sheffield and wider region which recognises that our differences are not just gender. I don’t want to pretend I understand all those differences but I certainly don’t want to deny they exist. I want women in tech groups and other groups to work towards collective goals - whilst being just as aware of the differences between the individuals in those groups.

I’m sure there are people here who have heard of intersectional feminism. I won’t talk about it now due to time and others can do so more eloquently than me. If this is new to you then Google - Kimberle Crenshaw.

Briefly, and with slight misquotes, she talks about problems like racism and sexism 'often overlapping, creating multiple levels of social injustice'. Its like 'injustice squared' - due to intersections of race and gender, of heterosexism, transphobia, xenophobia, ableism. All of them unique.

I find this a lot to process. What can I do? What can you do?

You can come to events like this, buy the books I mentioned, go on all the ‘unconscious bias’ training - that can only be the start. It’s also about finding people and communities - find out what they need and then do it. Do the work to learn and change.

Gif showing rolling views of books mentioned in this post

Give events feedback when you see something wrong. If they don’t listen - call them out. Don’t go. Don’t look at who is in the room. Think about who isn’t there. Don’t be on a panel of people just like you. I asked about the panel today and I'm comfortable to be here.

If you're a man - be a witness to this. Ask if you can attend women in tech events - don’t assume you can or can’t. Don’t just talk. Take a seat and listen. Listen closely and reflect back what you’ve seen to other men.

There will be people here in positions which give them tangible power. Use that power differently. If you don’t say or do anything different - particularly if you have power - what stops you? Be uncomfortable. I am sometimes. I thought my quietness and thoughtfulness was ‘just me’. That’s partly true and it’s sometimes fear of rejection or conflict - discomfort I didn't want to face.

I’m older and slightly louder now, so my wishes for IWD are:

  1. Find your voice and start to use it. If you aren’t in a position where you feel able to do that currently, then please find an outlet - a channel, group or person - who can help. If you have a voice - check how you could use it differently. Don’t let any strive for perfection stop you getting started - that’s what I do sometimes.
  2. Remember it’s not just your voice. I’ve mentioned those books earlier because it’s about listening and learning.

I want to share a short quote from the last book I’m going to mention today, 'Can we all be feminists?’, edited by June Eric-Udorie. I bought it at an Off the Shelf event - hosted by Our Mel/Annalisa Toccara and one of the authors, Soofiya Andry.

Soofiya is writing about feminists and says, ‘I am tired of the lack of intersectional thought, of their failure to see beyond their personal struggle’.

I found the evening uncomfortable at times and that's for me to think through and act upon more. I’ll end with a final quote, this time from Brené Brown, to acknowledge I'll sometimes get what I do and say wrong but,

'To opt out of this conversation because you can’t do it perfectly, is the definition of privilege.'

Thank you.

*I didn't reference a book in my talk and should have as I've belatedly realised her thoughts are woven throughout - Your Silence Will Not Protect You by Audre Lorde. It's a book worth so much more than this footnote.

** I would not recommend reading Naomi's work now.

(The above words are my personal thoughts and do not represent any group).