Calendar girls

Just got back from Melbourne after four days at the 21st Century Feminisms conference. Interestingly, this story broke the morning I gave my paper, providing a delightfully timely discussion prop on top of my already formidable number of visuals showing ladies using IT at work (or not, as the case may be).

The discussion at the SMH website is entertaining - particularly the comment that the calendar approach doesn’t do much to educate young women about the actual circumstances they will face in the workplace, no matter how intelligent or attractive they are:

“If you want more women in IT, show the powerful successful role models. Teach them about discrimination legislation, how to interpret employer policies and how to negotiate contracts. Being a woman in any male dominated industry requires fortitude, self-esteem and a great deal of patience - these are things that can’t be taught but must be fostered.”

Then again, given what I’ve come to understand about the political priorities of many middle-aged, middle-class academic feminists over the past few days, I think my favourite quote is this one:

“I work in IT and I oppose anything that attracts more people to the discipline. Such a move would only hamper my bargaining in a new AWA.”