Just skimmed through some audience comments from Women In Technology’s Nov 8 event, Aiming for the Top - How to be a Successful Woman Working in IT, on how to achieve success as a woman in a male-dominated field, and I’m blazing mad. Haven’t we come further than this?! Here are some examples to why I’m furious:
Develop a very thick skin and learn to ignore the teasing and jibes. […] Learn that male programmers may feel threatened by a woman as smart as them […]
Speaking as a woman who aced the toughest courses in computer science that our M.Sc. programme had to offer and graduated top of my class with highest average grade possible, I have never, ever encountered any male programmer who felt in any way whatsoever threatened by me, and have only been met with uttermost respect. The guys I studied with thought I was way cool and were genuinely happy about having me around.
Don’t harp on about being a woman; consider and treat yourself as an equal at every opportunity as differentiating yourself can have a negative effect.
I’ve generally ignored the fact that I’m a woman and focused on getting on with my job.
WTF?! I am a woman, and no matter what I do, what I say, how I act, nothing will change that fact. And ignoring the elephant in the room won’t make it go away. I am different, different from any other individual, male or female. It’s our differences that makes team work effective, fosters creativity and leads to great things. Imagine a world of clones. How sad.
And actually, being part of a minority can help your career. You’re highly visible, and have a great opportunity to speak up, show how competent you are, and make a real difference in your organisation. Do you think most men in a large company with mainly male employees ever get such a chance to shine?
[P]rove that women can do it.
How about me proving that I can do it? Yes, I’m a woman, but just because I succeed or fail, doesn’t mean that all women will as well. I want to prove my own worth, not fight a battle representing a whopping 50 percent of the world’s population.
And finally, here is my absolute favourite quote:
Think like a man. Don’t take anything personal, start the day without emotions.
No comments. This is just too absurd, I’m completely speechless. Or wait, maybe I’m just overcome with emotions… Arrrghhh! I sense an emotion! Take cover!!
Sorry, end rant. A little bit less upset now. I’m not saying that there aren’t any difficulties achieving success as a woman when most of your colleagues are men. There are. Having been in male-dominated environments since I was 18, I’ve got my share of experience dealing with various issues that arise when you’re in the minority. But I definitely do not believe that letting go of who you are and trying to conform to a “male” standard is the solution. So what do I believe in? Let me calm down a bit, and I’ll follow up on this post shortly. 
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