Empowerment Through Technology: Do You Tech?

Posted by Deanna Zandt, AlterNet at 9:24 AM on May 8, 2009.

Wait, lemme get this straight: in 1985, 38 percent of college graduates with computer science degrees were women; in 2003, that number had dropped to 28 percent.

The number of women getting into tech is actually falling? Seriously?

Thank god for conferences like Women Who Tech, then. Held yearly via phone and web, Women Who Tech gathers hundreds of women working in and interested in fields of technology to inspire change and transform the world. This year, it'll be on Tuesday, May 12th, running from 11am ET to 6pm ET. Panels will cover breaking through the digital ceiling, launching your own startup, diversity issues within social media, and much much more.

But what does it matter if women are involved in technology?

That kind of social Darwinism is not only a little nutty, but it's dangerous for us all, especially people seeking social change and social justice. Let's break it down.

Increasingly, we're reliant on technology systems to facilitate communication and connection, which in turn is the foundation for change. When you look at tech systems, it's helpful to think of them as little ecosystems that need lots of things to keep them going. One of the things ecosystems need most is a diverse set of members contributing to its overall health-- you can't have a planet with just rhinos running around, right? You need plants for the rhinos to eat, bugs to work with the plants, water to make things grow, maybe a few lions to eat the rhinos.

It's no different when designing a tech tool: A diverse pool of people working on the project -- women, people of color, queer folk, people with different abilities, etc -- is absolutely necessary to ensure you're building something healthy and robust. Without that kind of mix, we're subjecting ourselves to repeating the same paradigms over and over, and who wants that?

So, if you're a woman (broadly and inclusively defined and intended), and you're even vaguely interested in how technology can fuel social change, come join us.

I'll be leading a discussion around gender and diversity around organizing without organizations at 4pm.

Deanna Zandt is a media technologist specializing in social media, and is a leading expert in women and technology.