Ana Bradley, community manager at Shoreditch Works, organised Women in Tech City. She is the only female employee in her company.
Monday’s exhibitors were talented people that just happened to be women. Promoting women in business is necessary, but it’s necessary to promote them to men. Segregation is awkward.Afterwards, a man thanked me. Having arrived early, when it was mostly women, he had felt uncomfortable. Of course that wasn’t our intention. But now, he said, he knew what it was like to be a woman arriving at a tech conference.
At tech conferences, even supposedly female-friendly ones, there are few women speakers. For every 20 men, there’s one woman. It’s unnatural. Silicon Valley is a poor model for Silicon Roundabout. Our startups don’t need booth babes.
When things are testosterone led there’s a real competitive edge. Yet Friday’s event had an open, collaborative feel. Women have historically had to fight for equality, so there’s now a greater camaraderie.
Marginalised groups get nowhere without fighting hard. But protest is taboo now; British culture is sedated. It’s head down, get on with things.
Of course, sexism is complicated. There’s no generic man and woman. There’s also a misconception that feminists hate all men. We need to argue and write but without alienating people – including men – and drawing a bigger dividing line that there already is.
It’s especially difficult to cope with in Tech City. When you’re running a startup there’s so much to contend with that it becomes one among many issues.
But there’s definitely a communal voice. As soon as you scratch the surface lots of passionate women emerge.
My advice: businesswomen get out there. If you’re invited to speak at a conference, refuse until that panel’s 50 per cent female. Men: do the same.
Feel like this headline is a little
misleading there are women in shoreditch works I’m just the only person on the sw team who’s a woman. Also I’m freelance so not an employee. Finally, it’s a team of 5 and 3 are cofounders.
hahahaha yes John. You know what I mean. tbh mist conferences have about 8-10 people before they reveal who’s talking anyway so yeah. haha
“refuse until that panel’s 50 per cent female. Men: do the same.”
Conference organiser: “Just can’t seem to get my first speaker on board”.
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