by Jason Snell
‘Why I’m optimistic about gender equality in tech’
At last, a ray of hope. Jean MacDonald (formerly of Smile Software, now of App Camp for Girls) writes on iMore about why her years of perspective give her hope for the future:
At the time [of the Title IX ruling in 1972], the major sports for girls at my school were track, gymnastics, swimming, and tennis. I remember thinking, “How will they spend the same amount of money on girls’ sports as they do on boys’ sports? Girls don’t even want to play basketball or soccer.” It didn’t even occur to me that the demand might be there if girls were encouraged or supported to the same extent as their male counterparts….
Discrimination still exists in this field and likely will exist for some time. But I don’t get discouraged by the terrible stories circulating in the news on harassment and workplace discrimination. I don’t get frustrated with well-meaning but clueless commenters who think the status quo reflects innate gender differences. Instead, I’m spurred on to redouble my own efforts to make the future better.