Women/Girls in technology

As a School Board Trustee in Michigan I have been starting the conversation about Women/Girls and technology. In this "Flat World" the jobs of the future will focus on technology,science, and math, accounting for 50% of all new jobs. To compete with the world many women will need to account for these new jobs.

Unfortunately, I do not see our education system taking on the responsibility of finding ways to get girls interested in math, science, and technology. Sometimes I feel like the girls are intimidated ny the male dominated fields. As a Supervisor for Best Buy I have trouble hiring enough females...again I think it may have to do with our culture assuming girls aren't interested. Any thoughts?

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Annie K on October 17, 2008 at 7:59am: Well...I am a female Network Engineer - in my whole career I have always been the only woman when I am in dept meetings, corporate meetings, training..etc. My current group has a team of 5 - I am the only woman. I asked a couple of my husband's sister's girls what they thought about computers and technology and they said that it would be bad for their image and just wasn't cool for girls. That made me curious so I started asking the same question of all the teenage daughters of my friends and family and I repeatedly got the same answers.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mateus Augusto Lopes on October 17, 2008 at 9:23am: Is very hard to see a girl in a technology area actually.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by efesbe on October 17, 2008 at 10:01am: Funny you bring this up. I actually work for a female with a Ph.D. in Engineering and I couldn't even begin to tell you what she knows. My work is dominated with females with their Ph.Ds; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Julie Davis on October 17, 2008 at 10:08am: Assuming young women are taking classes in college in that field, (Computer Science Technology) and passing with a "C" or better; they should be applying for those jobs while in college.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Persian Paladin on October 17, 2008 at 10:08am: I guess girls just hate tech eh?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Yozrockfly on October 18, 2008 at 11:46am: A lot of girls just don't care about tech in any shape or form. :/; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Nugent on October 19, 2008 at 6:16am: I have to disagree, I think they are interested. I think maybe they are not as welcomed into the same careers as men? Certainly a female walking into a class of 30 guys and no other female would feel out of place.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sol McNally Aka : Dmitri Girl on December 31, 2008 at 5:43pm: I agree with this. The average female would feel intimidated. But if your going to be in a field of this sort. You have to get used to it. And that all goes back to confidence.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by TyphoidKitten on December 31, 2008 at 8:19pm: uhhh...are you serious? Can you see any girl now a days without a cellphone?

Your logic if flawed.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mateus Augusto Lopes on January 13, 2009 at 5:49am: Well, that's true, all girls live with an cellphone on hand.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dan on January 17, 2009 at 7:03pm: The ONLY reason they like them is because they can "stay in touch" 24 hrs a day to keep up with the latest up-to-the-minute gossip. That's not to say that there is a cross section of women who like tech, I work with two of them and they are quite brilliant at it, but for the most part this is not the norm.

Dan 'J5'; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Scott Morrison on October 18, 2008 at 11:50am: i always respect a girl way more if she knows how to use technology.; ▶ Reply to This