What are Guys Doing to Get More Girls into Tech?

Many tech fields have a low percentage of women. If you are a guy do you wonder what you can do about it? At the upcoming SXSW event in the US, a panel of predominantly men will discuss the lack of women in IT from a male prespective. The aim of the panel: "To learn about successful strategies and proactive approaches for supporting women you work with and participate in a community with. Even learn some well-intentioned efforts that have gone awry."

Questions to be Answered by Men on the Lack of Women in IT:

1. How many women participate in different technical fields (by %)?
2. Why does it matter that they are underrepresented in these fields?
3. What are the cultural norms that men and women have about performance and self-promotion?
4. What is Male Programmer Privilege?
5. What can a guy do who has a sister that is math/science inclined but being steered away from the field?
6. How have the men on the panel improved things in their workplaces?
7. How have the men on the panel addressed the challenges that arise in open communities? (that is where you don't have a boss that fires people for inappropriate behavior/comments)
8. What are the qualities of a workplace that is friendly for women?
9. How to go beyond tokenism in workplaces, communities and conferences?
10. How to encourage women more?

____________________________________________________________________________
Date: Saturday March 13th 2010
Time: 5pm
Location: 9ABC Events, Austin Convention Centre
Level: Beginner
Category: Case Study, Community / Online Community, Education, Self-Help / Self-Improvement, Social Issues
Type: Panel
Event: SXSW 2010 - Interactive

____________________________________________________________________________
For more information visit the SXSW website, and search for other women in tech related conferences, films and events including:

• 'Bumpin' Up: Has the Glass Ceiling Ever Smacked you in the Butt?, which looks at who has created the digital ceiling
  
• '2009 Iran Election: Women's Revolution? Twitter Revolution?', in which an interactive panel will discuss the surprising siociopolitical involvement of women in the 2009 Iranian election

Split in to three genres - interactive, film and music - the conferences and fectivals run from March 12th - 21st:

• Interactive: March 12th - 16th
• Film: March 12th - 20th
• Music: March 17th - 21st

The deadline for pre-event tickets is February 12th so do hurry if you are intending to attend.  Although tickets can be bought on the day, they are of course a little pricier.

The South by Southwest (SXSW) Conferences & Festivals offer the unique convergence of original music, independent films, and emerging technologies. Fostering creative and professional growth alike, SXSW is the premier destination for discovery.