Last night I went to C4 where the great Sarah Blow was hosting her last GGD (she's moving onto new roles working on international and charitable status for the organisation).

A fine crowd listened  to the panel speaking on Technology, Gender & Public Perception through Media live and online with TechfluffTV's support.  Moderator, Maggie Philbin kept the panel – Alice Taylor , Belinda Parmar , Margaret Robertson and Emma Persky – on some fine topics frequently interspersed with questions from attendees and web viewers (@joannejacobs).

Here are my notes.

Role models for women

Why don't we see scientists in adverts who aren't white men with beards in lab coats?  See this research from US on 7th graders. (Robertson)

At Toys R Us the aisles are pink (princess) or gorillas.  There's nothing in between (Taylor).  This is a missed financial opportunity as many women and children fit between the extremes of the bell-curve.

Teens are quite 'metro' so how do they get there from the princess vs gorilla early childhood stereotype?

Apple takes an androgynous approach (Parmar) and Nike Women is powerful especially when compared to "Della". 

How do we drive technology job awareness to young women?  there is a cultural problem of girls not seeing tech jobs as being accessible, interesting or appropriate.  They have to believe it's a viable choice for me.

CHALLENGE – can all girl geeks go into a school and talk about 'my love of technology'? Go to the Women In Technology site to sign up their volunteering section.

Is the issue with the 'girl' or the 'geek' label? When women play games they tend to enjoy the less complex, less skills-based and less obsessive/compulsive types of game. (Robertson).  Geeks love knowledge and the test is do you know your onions when you meet another geek.  'you're in' if you do.  It's a secret handshake. This is easier than in other industries where other issues matter more.

TV watching statistics for Horizon male:female is 6:1 and for press quotations is 5:1.

Jobs – getting women to apply for tech jobs. Applicants tend to decide before the age of 10 whether their 'acceptable' career choices are. And if the 'scientist' stereotype view exists, they won't overcome it unless they visit a lab and see for themselves.

Heroes of our past: Joanna Lumley in Sapphire and Steel, Maggie Philbin in Tomorrow's World and Uhura in Star Trek.  [someone had an Uhura doll!]

The patriarchal imperative does not need to continue.  

Action for all readers – if you see an advert which is overtly male / female role stereotyping, write and complain to the Advertising Standards Authority or equivalent in other countries.  Around 30 letters will make them notice. [Persky)

A very fine evening all-round.

Related posts:

1. BIMA dinner 24 Jan “How PR and digital should collaborate”
2. Come and meet Tim Ferriss in London