INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Raksha Muthukumar
Contributor
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Raksha is a software engineer at Google
who is passionate about social justice and liberation through technology.
We&ve heard the criticisms that there were fewer black women
speakers than white men at Grace Hopper Celebration in the past, but event organizers heard our complaints and created an entire conference
pathway and new grants for &women of color from underrepresented groups and women from untapped pathways.&
We feel better now that our
panels include hijabi and transgender women
The work done by women of color and others to broaden our understanding of diversity and inclusion in these spaces cannot go without
recognition.
But at the end of it all, my question after a long day of panels and handshakes is, why? What are we really doing here? What
ideas are we planting and fostering behind our massive paywall? Are we breaking down barriers for future generations, or simply
congratulating ourselves for reaching the upper echelons of women who have vaulted them? Are we pushing to change toxic systems, or asking
women to change themselves to navigate them?
Who are we benefiting and elevating with our efforts?
What we can say about the majority of
corporate women is that we are currently wealthy and educated
What we can say about many corporate women in the American tech sector is that we are white or Asian-American, heterosexual, abled and a
plethora of other dimensions of privileged
Through most of our women in tech events, we self-select into a space where others are educated like us, or aspire to be educated like us,
and erect barriers to the tune of thousands of dollars and up to a week off from work/school
Conferences tout scholarships to offset the cost of attendance for the up and coming generation of tech women, but often times those
students are required to show existing proclivities to STEM.
Extending resources to students who already have exposure to STEM biases our
outreach to those with privilege already; low-income schools in California are four times less likely to offer AP computer science A courses
than high-income schools, according to an independent study done by the Kapor Center
Unfortunately, it hard to make a case to allocate resources any other way when these events rely on corporate sponsorship and attendance and
a business case must be made for return on investment (re: tech talent pipeline).
The following is a (non-comprehensive) list of
recommendations for improving the way we build power as women in tech:
1
Increase economic accessibility by supporting smaller conferences
Attending a conference costs more than its ticket price, so increasing
accessibility must be more comprehensive than offering scholarships
Some examples of questions to ask ourselves as organizers: will attendees with mobility needs spend more than others for their travel and
lodging? Are students who receive financial aid more fearful about taking days off?
At first glance, these questions seem like they can be
addressed by throwing money at the problem — more scholarships for disabled and lower-income attendees, easy! But trying to level the
playing field in this manner is an exercise in futility; bringing a few lucky underprivileged people into our space does little to address
A better way to look at it is to ask how we can make the benefits available to those of us with privilege equally accessible to those with
less.
Smaller, regional events usually cost less to host and attend and spread value more widely
New speakers can practice leadership, attendees can network with professionals in their local area, and students can receive more attention
Resources move into local communities and nonprofits instead of into recruiting pipelines for tech giants
Some examples of regional conferences targeting minorities but with more granular goals are CodeNewbies, AfroTechand Take Back Tech
These are the efforts we need to support if we want to effectively grow power in our communities that don&t already have it.
2
Focus on systemic change
If every takeaway from your event is how women can change their actions, then it might be a shallow event
Women and others are not held down because we cry at work, or because we take maternity leave, but because of how those around us perceive
Challenging ourselves to change our perceptions is more difficult but ultimately more valuable than stifling our authentic choices and
personality to be more convenient.
It important to ask ourselves why we, a group of traditionally mistreated professionals, are gathering
Why are we sharing our stories of vulnerability and to what end are we building our collective strength? Marginalized people coming together
helps consolidate our power so that we can change the system we&re in
It a form of collective action — when dozens of women want maternity leave, their employer is more inclined to provide it than when one
When multiple women talk to each other and realize they&ve been harassed by the same co-worker, they feel empowered to do something about it
We organize and gather so we can change injustices.
Conversations where the whole room may not agree with you can be more impactful than the
ones that earn you the most laughs and nods
Challenge your audience; discomfort is where we grow
If you&re holding an event for allies, make them earn the title of ally
Catch yourself when you fall to the instinct of making everyone feel good when your goal is to make a difference.
3
Support grassroots-led change instead of corporate-lead change
Let not forget who the greatest winners are after a Women @ Qualcomm
weekend, a Microsoft Women in Technology Event or Grace Hopper Celebration — the event organizer.
They recruit from the highly qualified
pool of attendees while cultivating positive PR for valuing diversity, gaining much more overall than any one individual, though a single
person may stand to gain from the opportunity
Companies have made a major push for students and employees from underrepresented groups to stay in the &tech talent pipeline.& As from any
affirmative action, there are positive outcomes from that, but there are also studies that find that the pipeline has not addressed deeper
issues with workplace cultures, power asymmetries, and harassment.
Put another way, companies often recruit diversity in ways that bring
value to themselves without taking responsibility for the quality of life of those within the pipeline
It important to remind ourselves that these are not purely philanthropic goals for corporations and that recruitment and retention are to
At the very least, we&re entitled to substantive policy change in exchange for our labor.
Grassroots and community-led change is better than
corporate-led change if our goal is to empower and further the opportunities for women
We must create opportunities for leadership and support efforts that truly build our strength
We should be fearless in asking for real change
By all means, do the work within the companies and within the mainstream conferences if that empowers you, but be wary of the ways that you
might be keeping power in already powerful communities and keep your goals in sight
Don&t be afraid to ask why, even for things that seem to have the best of intentions
Even well-meaning systems can perpetuate harmful power dynamics if those of us within them aren&t constantly questioning and pushing back.
