STEM isn't the silver-bullet

Talking about STEM/STEAM 

Another reason we started this podcast was in response to the constancy of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) or STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Maths) being portrayed as the panacea to the wicked problem of gender diversity and overall inclusivity.

Yes, STEM/STEAM is critically important. And yes, it's a no-brainer that we expect and demand that our daughter, who loves, and is very good at maths, should continue to have equal access and encouragement to continue participating in maths, science, tech and engineering subjects throughout her schooling. This may or may not include coding.

Solving today's problems today

However, the issue for people such as Robert and I who work in Technology organisations and roles today, is that we have a problem today. That we need to solve today, for today and tomorrow. The STEM/STEAM horizon is addressing critical, systemic issues in the education system which means a longterm, multi-year outlook.  We're after something much quicker for people experiencing issues and entering the industry today. Juniors trying to find employment are having a difficulty, at at time when there's a significant pipeline issue.  It takes a substantive investment in time and money; and particular mentoring skill to support and equip juniors to become work-ready.  University computer degrees don't necessarily teach work-ready skills; neither do the professional courses. And nor should we expect that someone effectively coming through a theoretical apprenticeship would be big-wide-world ready.  However, we need a pipeline to meet the growing gap of tech people that's experienced by every organisation.

Juniors are not a gendered issue

One strategy to address this gap is to 'grow your own' people through mentoring juniors - and most organisations can't wait the 20 years it will take for STEM/STEAM policies to kick in for help with this one.  This is not a gendered issue. Both male and female juniors alike struggle to find and then retain their positions in organisations which have sometimes underestimated the effort to train and equip a junior.

STEM/STEAM is already proving why it will be a longterm solution

Which is again why we started our techwomentalkingg podcast.  We know lots of people making everyday and systemic changes today, and we wanted to start hearing their stories.  Our first interview was Alexia MacDonald, a RailGirls alumnae whose first tech role came directly from her RailsGirls experience. She's an example of why the STEM/STEAM payoff is going to be a long haul. Alexia came out of a computing degree, not really ready to walk into a role.  There's no well-known route into a range of computing roles (eg product managers, designers or scrum masters). Unlike other professions, these paths still need to be created.  It's going to take a while.

Some of our other interviews have similarly explored this conundrum.  We had a fascinating discussion with Jane Nguyen and Candi Goodison from Redbubble.  Candi is completing her degree while working at Redbubble and it was great chatting about Jane and Candi's similar but different perspectives on life in the bubble.  Robert's last role saw him mentoring a junior dev who came out of a $12,000 software development professional course with high hopes; a willing attitude; the most wonderful personality in the world; a previous electrical engineering degree; and almost no ability to program. 3 months' unpaid internship and some patient mentoring, turned into a junior role in a start-up. This came after months of rejected code tests which were demeaning, demoralising and fundamentally attacked his confidence.

STEM/STEAM is a great solution to a component of the problem.  As our conversations have shown to date, we need to be clear that there are multiple problems we're trying to solve. STEM/STEAM can help.  Just not today.  

Why this podcast?

Why not this podcast?

Well, Robert and I have been talking to various tech women for a little while now and we've just made our podcasts live. 

It's been an interesting, and really encouraging journey for us so far.  Even since we started a couple of months ago, the gender conversation seems to have a bit more fire in it (this may just be cognitive bias).  One of the reasons I reached out to talk to people was that I knew there were great, positive examples of wonderful change to be shared and wanted to help spotlight some of these great stories. We've both been looking for more examples and more answers for what others do everyday to improve daily life for women (and therefore everyone); to introduce into our own workplaces, so we thought this might be helpful to others too.  And, it's exciting that we're starting to find lots of these examples. 

So, while things are looking up, there have also been a few awkward moments where people have popped up, just joining the conversation, a bit late to the party, and publicly declaring that they've just realised there's a problem.  Reading these pieces on linkedin, Medium, Twitter, Facebook or wherever other good opinions are shared, one only needs to count to ten, before there quickly follows the 'haters-gonna-hate' comments; or the this isn't me 'some-of-my-best-friends-are-women' decriers; or the 'I'm-a-great-woman-there's-no-problem-women-just-need-to-learn-to-negotiate-better' comments.  This could get you down if you let it.  

There is a problem.  We've already learned a lot from our kind and gracious guests, we invite you to do the same:

• Tune in
• Listen to real women share their stories on techwomentalkingg (& others)
• Take note of the talker's tips
• Send us any feedback 
• Suggest a techwomentalker
• Become a techwomentalker 

My great-great-great-great granddaughter will finally receive pay equity (if all goes to current plan). Perhaps we could change this??

Iceland has done it.* Rwanda is 5th on the 2016 World Economic Forum Global Gender Pay Gap Scale, while Australia is ranked 46, down 10 places in 2015. 

Source:Global Gender Gap Index 2016, World Economic Forum

What's going on? 
Current projections are that it will take an average of 118 years to achieve pay equity. 

Using the Gender parity calculator on the WEF website, my outlook isn't even that rosy. And, it seems that things have also been going backwards in the last 3 years.

                                                                             











However, there are some glimmers of hope.  Iceland announced their solution to pay equity this International Women's Day & it's a good one. Icelandic private & public businesses of 25+ people must prove that they offer equal pay to men and women.  This strategy will still take time but by 2022, they'll have equity (they also mandated 40% female representation on boards).  

So what can be done?

Well, we can decide to pay men and women equally.  When you think about it, really stop & think about it, it's hard to explain why there's a difference.  

ANZ created a beautiful, compelling video 'equal future' campaign, where girls are potentially offered less pocket money than boys. The comments from the kids are priceless.  Have a look...  

http://www.women.anz.com/the-conversation/equal-future

The World Economic Forum suggests some other strategies for gender parity below. 

We need to get busy  

I had an incredibly uncomfortable conversation with my daughter this evening talking about why she wasn't going to be paid as much as the boys in her class when she starts working. It's weird, illogical and sickening; made worse because I know it's happened to me.  Her comments were simple, "What's good for the goose is good for the gander - but I want to be a swan anyway."