I was recently invited to an "event" aimed at women in IT. It is more of a party, really - at which women will be pampered while being brought up to speed on the important things in life.
"Balancing work and home" sat drowning in an agenda of talks on make-up application, new trends in work wear and meal preparation. "Experts on fashion, make-up and food will be there to help us enhance our work and home lives. We should dress to impress, because there will be a prize for the best-dressed woman."
I`m sure anyone who attends this party will have an absolute ball. So why did the invitation - coated in the obligatory pink - leave me squirming?
Anyone who knows me is aware that things like a good hair-do, well-applied lipstick and shoes that I just had to have because they match my favourite handbag, aren`t really my thing. Truth be told, I`m a bit of a slob. In fact, this event is probably perfect for me; it might tidy me up a bit. But while I do appreciate the importance of good grooming in making a favourable impression (or just in feeling good about yourself), I`m left wondering if half the men I see working in this industry share my opinion. Because, last time I checked, a "jean-pant" hanging halfway down your rear is never improved on by the presence of a shirt and tie. Especially if your breakfast is still in evidence there.
Real business issues
A diet of pizza, coffee and Coke wreaks havoc with your looks, but I see no hair and nail extravaganza for the boys. I assume that`s because, when they go to an IT event, even if it is a party, real business is done, real issues discussed. And really big cigars are smoked.
If anyone can tell me the last time men in IT were treated to tips on balancing work and home or cooking, I`ll give you a golden mezuzah.
Pamela Weaver, contributor, ITWeb
They don`t have time for that girlie stuff. A "Men in IT" event wouldn`t offer tips on nasal hair trimming or the finer points of understanding that a chestnut-brown toupee may look nice, but if the hair you used to have was black, it might not work.
All an event like this says to me is that IT is no place for "the ladies".
I know I`m going to be told to get a life, a man, a chill pill on this. That I`m taking it too seriously, it`s just a bit of fun, which, of course, it is. What really grates my carrot, though, is what events like this underline about the perception of women in the IT workplace. Apart from the fact that, whether we`re cleaning toilets or coding SOAs, we`re under pressure to look hot, my biggest issue with this is the inference that women who work in IT are de-feminising themselves by choosing what is still perceive as a man`s job.
If we turn up at the server farm without our foundation on, it means we`ve given up, that we want to be one of the guys. Worse still, we`re not really serious about this stuff; we`d rather try on clothes with our girlfriends than roll-out the new BI infrastructure. As for our poor children - left to fend for themselves while we head out to the office...
If anyone can tell me the last time men in IT were treated to tips on balancing work and home or cooking, I`ll give you a golden mezuzah.
IT goddess
This event is organised on behalf of a women`s organisation. I assume it`s in keeping with what they want to offer us. But it suggests we`re apologising for being successful in an industry dominated by men, by reminding people that we understand that the most important thing about us is that we look good. That women only feel okay about themselves when they are conforming with the expectation that they look good and everything`s alright at home (including hubby, who wasn`t invited to this party and is now possibly "babysitting" his own kids).
It`s not just in SA - in fact, maybe this invitation wouldn`t have irritated me as much if it hadn`t arrived in the same week that I stumbled across an American site selling calendars featuring "IT Goddesses".
The calendars are made up of "beautiful photos of real women working in the IT industry, in poses inspired by movie goddesses old and recent", nogal. If anyone, anywhere, knows why any of this is necessary, answers on the back of a postcard, please.
And for anyone having trouble believing that there`s still a glass ceiling for women in the IT industry, hop along to www.itgoddess.info. You`ll get the drift.
As an un-named black American suffragist said, a pedestal is as much a prison as any other small place. And if the men in IT don`t take us seriously, we shouldn`t assume that`s entirely their fault.
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