Deciphering Lela's Code

www.donestech.netMETALAB 18.09.2009

PARAFLOWS KATALINSCHER VEREIN IN WIEN

Nuria Verges Eva Cruells

Encouraging w&m to get womyn into technologies

Structure of the Session:1) Manifesto Video (10 minutes)

2) Donestech? Who we are? Why did we start? What do we do? What do we expect? (5 minutes)

3) Genders and technologies : a mutually constitutive relationship (5 minutes)

4) Video: Gender inequalities (7 minutes)

4) Barriers and opportunities (20 minutes)

5) What to do next? (15 minutes)

5) Video Free Software and Dreams (10 minutes)

6) Anything to add? Anything else? (any time left)

Encouraging w&m to get womyn into technologies

Donestech? Who we are? Why did we start? What do we do? What do we expect?

Technoactivist background + social research experience. Women and men

To explore the relation between women and technologies from the experiences of women already involved in technologies (generate knowledge through research)

To experiment with ICT (generate practice through activities such as visualisations, free software, web, workshops...)

To create networks among women in technologies (generate empowerment through meetings and public activities...)

To visualize women experiences with technologies in order to provoke reflexion about gender and technologies and change (generate change through presentations, audiovisuals, publications, web...)

Gender perspective is not an issue, it is a critical perspective , a way of viewing the world

Gender : socially constructed / changes in every culture and context

Technology is not neutral / Castells: technology is not an isolated dispositive it is society istself reflecting desires and needs of personsTechnological devices are socially conformed:use, design and technical content

Gender and technology are mutually constitutive and are cultural processes that can be negotiated and changed

Encouraging w&m to get womyn into technologies

TechnologyGender

Encouraging w&m to get womyn into technologies

Barriers and opportunities: Discussion

Motivation: encouraging/discouraging aspects

Access & learning: closing/reopening an open door?

Development: retain and promote?

Intro: video lela: gender inequalities

Encouraging w&m to get womyn into technologies

Barriers and motivations:

• Motivation: discouraging aspects

1)Gender roles & sterotypes “technologies are not for women” “are only for men”, women social – men techcnological “technologies are not social”.

Family and friends discouraging (ex lack for a room with computer), Gender orientation at school

Sexist publicity (only men as subjects),

Lack of tech products as games without gender stereotypes,

Elitism and mistycism of the technology: more inteligent task

Narrow view of technologies: what about domestic technologies?

www.20minutos.es/.../140395/0/psp/sony/racismo/

Publicidad de Linux / “Linux me pone”: www.noticiasdot.com/.../noticias100305-02.htm

www.todomujer.cl/articulo/001289.php : El rol de madre angustia a las profesionales

Encouraging w&m to get womyn into technologiesBarriers and motivations:

• Motivation: discouraging aspects

2) Lack of friendly networks – comunities to practices, share, encourage

3) Lack of role models: invisibilization and critical mass

>>>image // previous knowledge // discouraged will and curiosity

So is it for you too?!

Encouraging w&m to get womyn into technologiesBarriers and opportunities: Access & learning: -resources: for me or for all? sharing...

-previous knowledge? Have I met you before?

-domestic labour? What about administration tasks?

-self-confidence: recognition of habilities, yes we can!

-tools and contents for who? Language? Aproach? needs?

-time: night time? Eternal meetings?

-anyone to welcome you?

-can I do it by myself? I want my mouse back!

-how do I know if it has been understood?

-practice oriented

- Go where they are : be active in recruiting, making diffusion..

Encouraging w&m to get womyn into technologiesBarriers & oportunities : Development: retain and promote

• Competition vs solidarity and sharing

• Sexism: language, jokes,

• Sustainable timing: what about the rest of your life?

• Value & recognition of women's knwoledge

• Listen to them , do not presupose

• Value diversity

• Widen technology definition

• Allow women's networks for empowerment and colaborate with

• Redistribution of tasks and roles

• Be aware of gender stereotypes and be patient!

Encouraging w&m to get womyn into technologies

How to encourage women's participation in technologies?

(Val Henson: How to encourage women in linux)

Reconstruct a femenine image of technology too

To recuperate historical contribution of women in technology

To look for new references: to invite women as a trainers or speakers that are involved in technologies

Make visible different uses and practices of technology

Look for Good practices: non sexist practices

Don't tell sexist jokes / Do protest sexist jokes

Don't take the keyboard away / keep that in women's hand

Ada Augusta Byron King / Ada Lovelace(1815 - 1852) primera programadora en la historia de las computadoras.

Barbara McClintock /(1902 - 1992) Genetista/ Premio Nobel Medicina 1983.

Hypatia /(370 D.C) Primera mujer matemática .

ENIAC / Kay Antonelli, Jean Bartik, Betty Holberton, Marlyn Meltzer, Frances Spence

y Ruth Teitelbaum. .

Encouraging w&m to get womyn into technologies

How to encourage women's participation in technologies?

Do encourage women in computing: Take women's complaints seriously (studies, causes why women are not in tech..)

Don't stare and point when women arrive

"I've never bothered going to a LUG but I've been to other geek events where everyone has turned around and stared when I walked in... it felt more like the 'stranger walks into a bar scene' in a western than anything else."

Do treat new arrivals politely / Don't make new people feel unwelcome / Do help new people get involved

Don't treat women stereotypically

Use Non sexist language

Encouraging w&m to get womyn into technologies

Video : women and Free Software Dreams and whishes

Encouraging w&m to get womyn into technologies

Anything to add? Anything else?

Vielen Dank!

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