Addressing Sexism To Build A Better Ruby Community

by Hannah Howard and Evan Dorn

The video titled 'Addressing Sexism To Build A Better Ruby Community', presented by Hannah Howard and Evan Dorn at LA RubyConf 2014, tackles the pervasive issue of sexism within the technology sector, specifically among programmers. Despite initiatives like RailsBridge and RailsGirls aimed at increasing female participation in tech, gender disparities remain prevalent.

During her segment, Hannah shares her personal journey as a female programmer and discusses the impact of traditional gender roles on perceptions and interactions in the tech community. Key points outlined include:

Gender Roles: Hannah explains how traditional gender roles, defined by societal expectations, shape how men and women behave and are perceived in tech.
The State of Women in Tech: Statistics show that women constitute only 20% of software engineers and a mere 1.5% of open source contributions come from women, highlighting the gender imbalance in the industry.
Historical Context: Hannah recounts that women were once prevalent in programming roles during the early and mid-20th century but became underrepresented over time as tech became male-dominated.
Personal Experience: She shares her own experiences of returning to tech after a decade away, discussing the bias and assumptions that came with being a female programmer, including instances of being doubted in her abilities and the different treatment she received post-transition as a transgender woman.
Addressing Sexism: Hannah emphasizes the need for proactive measures to counteract sexist behavior within the community, such as speaking out against sexism and supporting women through initiatives like Rails Girls.
Men's Role: The presenters also discuss how sexism affects men, creating societal pressures related to traditional masculinity, and the importance of open conversations to foster an inclusive community.

In conclusion, the talk encourages everyone to participate in addressing sexism actively and to create a supportive environment for women in technology. The discussions presented are crucial for building a healthier and more inclusive tech community, necessitating ongoing dialogue and action from all members of the community.

00:00:25.439 Hi everyone, my name is Hannah and this talk is going to be a little bit different. I was thinking as I was getting up here that it's kind of awkward that I'm probably the only female speaker today. Although I am super passionate about things like writing small code, we're going to be talking about sexism, which is a little bit different. So I'm Hannah Howard, this is Evan Dorn, and there's our Twitter handles. We are both from a company called Logical Reality Design. Logical Reality Design is one of LA's premier homegrown agile development shops; at least that's what I like to say. We're going to be giving a talk about addressing sexism. I'm going to do the first part, and then Evan is going to take over and give a little bit of a different perspective.

00:00:50.640 The first part is basically about the issue regarding gender and technology. I’m going to be telling you a little bit about my journey as a female programmer. Okay, let's proceed. A bit about this gender thing: gender is kind of a big deal. It plays a significant role in our lives; it actually affects how we talk, what we wear, what our interests are, who we're interested in, and even in some ways how we carry ourselves. As time goes on, we're coming to understand that a lot of the traits we once assumed to be biologically inherent are actually learned behaviors that we develop as we grow up in our modern society.

00:01:56.640 Because of all this, we all have a lot invested in this idea of being 'real men' and 'real women'. We're taught throughout our lives to embody these identities. In fact, even the internet agrees with me on this one. If you do a quick Google search for the terms 'real men' and 'real women', you find all kinds of interesting ideas about what they're supposed to be. For example, most real men shave with chainsaws; if you don't do that, then you are not a real man. Real women, on the other hand, avoid drama, so, clearly, I am not a real woman. And then there’s this troubling idea that a real woman can do it all by herself, but a real man won’t let her. It’s kind of sketchy, and I’m not really a fan of that one.

00:02:36.799 When we take these beliefs together, we call them traditional gender roles. They are really awful both as a concept and in practice. Traditional gender roles are essentially a set of rules for how men and women should behave in our society, which can be quite strict. In fact, the traditional version, resembling the 1950s housewife and breadwinner model, is something we learned about happening in the past, which no longer fits our society.

00:03:03.519 Now, what is this thing we call sexism? If we go back to the old-school traditional gender role of the housewife and the breadwinner, there were basic benefits that men received and extra hardships that women faced. This disparity is what we refer to as sexism. Fortunately, in the 20th century, there was significant progress made to address these issues. We were able to create more opportunities for both men and women that didn't exist before; however, if you look at basic measures like where power and influence are concentrated in our society, it remains unfortunately skewed more towards men than women. This is a larger discussion, which we can all have as an ongoing debate.

00:03:44.639 Now, we're here to talk about the programmer and tech community. To provide some insight, studies indicate that the number of women who are software engineers is approximately 20 percent of the overall total. In the sad reality, open source contributions are significantly worse. If we look at open source contributions by gender, only about 1.5 percent of contributions to open source code come from women. This disparity in numbers drives the phenomenon of sexism within the programmer and tech community. It changes the whole equation of how sexism affects people in this field.

00:04:37.440 Now, some of you might be thinking, 'Wait a second, Hannah. I know that programming's just a guy thing. Guys like to program, and girls like to, I don't know, play with My Little Pony.' But the fact is, this hasn't always been the case. At one point, most programmers were women. During World War II, through the 50s and up to the 60s, programming was viewed largely as clerical or secretarial work, which is why many women were involved.

00:05:05.760 You've probably all heard of Grace Hopper, who essentially invented the compiler or wrote one of the first ones. Women played an important role in computer science historically. While it's nice to remember this romanticized version of the past when gender representation was more equitable, we must acknowledge that it doesn't reflect our current reality. Today, our professional landscape is male-dominated, and this shapes our discussion.

00:05:41.680 Now I want to take a brief detour and discuss my personal story as a female programmer. I started programming really young; I began in high school and even dabbled a bit in junior high, which isn’t the typical story for women in tech. Initially, I received a lot of positive feedback from family members, friends, and teachers, encouraging me in this field. I genuinely excelled during my early experiences.

00:06:47.360 However, when I graduated college, I made a conscious decision to leave programming. I was in my early 20s and felt idealistic about my career options, which led me to work in non-profits for about 10 years. My roles varied widely, including non-technical positions in social services and office management, which distanced me further from programming. Turning 30, and the realization that a non-profit income would not sustain me forever, prompted my return to technology, where I started as a computer repair technician at the Apple Store.

00:07:54.000 Upon returning, I had a drastically different experience. As a 30-something woman, those who were unaware of my previous experience offered entirely different reactions. I was often viewed as someone who lacked competency. For instance, when I was the IT support person at a non-profit, an outside consultant told me I wasn't qualified to install a Mac computer but suggested I could simply observe him.

00:08:24.480 At the Apple Store, I occasionally encountered customers who would explicitly or implicitly ask to see a male technician instead of me. Even now, in the programming community where I have some status, I notice that when I'm working alongside another woman, male colleagues often assume we're both beginners, which is a bizarre experience.

00:09:09.600 Additionally, I want to share with you something significant about my identity. I am a transgender woman, and during my time away from programming, I transitioned from male to female. The shift in how I was treated before and after this transition was profound—it was the difference between being perceived as a man versus a woman. This experience has helped me grasp the phenomenon of how gender affects perceptions.

00:09:59.199 In larger gatherings of computer programmers, I've noticed that I often get looked at differently. This is not necessarily sexual; rather, it feels like people's eyes linger on me, suggesting they wonder, 'What are you doing here? How did you get here? You don’t really belong here.' This feeling of being an outsider is familiar to many women in tech, and it's something I want to acknowledge.

00:10:40.640 So, that's my personal narrative about being in this environment, and now I want to connect my experience to the broader issue of sexism. One of the challenges we face is the assumptions made about women’s abilities in programming. Commenting on women’s technical skills often distorts reality—there’s a presumption that all women must start programming early or that women aren’t as adept at coding as men are. Negative comments reinforcing stereotypes about women in technology are common.

00:11:11.360 Unfortunately, I hear a lot of overly sexual language that isn’t professional. It’s clear that such behavior may be tolerated in tech, but it wouldn't be acceptable in other professions. Moreover, I've spoken to many women about experiences of harassment—unwanted sexual attention that leaves them feeling unsafe and uncomfortable. These are serious issues that need to be addressed.

00:11:38.880 I don’t believe that all guys are sexist—in fact, I’d bet most men here are not. But the disparity in numbers between men and women in our field significantly impacts how these dynamics play out. I want to illustrate this with a little animation that demonstrates how small a percentage of the population can lead to significant problems.

00:12:01.360 When we acknowledge that while not all men are aggressive, the limited number of women means that a few bad men can disproportionately affect the overall experience of women in programming. So, how do we fix this? One approach is to challenge sexism wherever we see it. We must actively engage in making the community a welcoming space for women. When we bring women into programming and tech, retaining them is one of the most crucial issues we face. Women often enter the community but tend to leave sooner, largely based on their experiences.

00:12:49.679 To address these issues, we need to implement some practical steps. First, if you see sexist behavior, stand up and say something. If it's safe and possible, approach the individual privately to avoid embarrassing them. Don’t be afraid to speak up, especially if the behavior is overt. Pay attention to the experiences of women around you—make an effort to understand their perspectives and the challenges they might face.

00:13:25.360 Furthermore, it’s essential to avoid negative actions. Simply put, don't say sexist things, and don’t harass women. For the most part, we have a collective understanding of what constitutes inappropriate behavior by now. Additionally, I urge everyone to support initiatives like Rails Girls, which is designed to help women learn to code. It’s happening on March 15th and 16th.

00:14:14.720 Now, what about the guys? It seems like I’m primarily talking about women and their negative experiences, but it's important to note that sexism affects men as well. This can create pressure concerning traditional masculinity. Societal expectations often suggest that men must be tough, athletic, and strong. Many women I know have confided in me about the challenges they face in the tech world, and, interestingly, many men feel similarly.

00:14:30.560 Evan, my co-presenter, is going to address the male perspective. At this point, I realize that I talk too much. I want to acknowledge that the issue is complex. It's crucial for us to have an open conversation about how we can work together to improve our community and create an inclusive environment for everyone.

00:15:15.360 As I step back, I want to affirm that even though I may have acknowledged my experiences and challenges, I recognize that I’m part of a larger community. I want to invite everyone to join this conversation—because it's ongoing and requires active participation from all of us. Thank you very much.