Feminist Pub 17: The Bluestocking frolics in the fells and fens of feminism

Going back to that 30% thing a moment - earlier today I had a meeting with my group - they're all in california so I was dialed into webex. It felt like quite an even balance, but looking at the list now I realise it was 6 blokes and only 3 women (including me). Though TBF it was mainly being led by the other two women and one of the blokes.

Well, I can't tell you what happened much past those bits, it is true. I was hoping it was going to inspire me to finish my ironing while watching it.

I haven't done any ironing.

I turned it off EBear. Historically accurate no doubt, but gratuitous and effing angry making to watch.

Oh, and while I'm here - Banished (some programme about convicts in Australia.) Started with a woman being raped, then went on to have her being flogged.

Totally necessary and not at all gratuitous, of course.

it was such a textbook an example of why we have a diversity problem!

And I bet they didn't recognise that. Our levels of diversity seem to vary a lot according to the department. I have a manager who goes on about, "a mail from unpronounceable." It was from Sanjit, which I don't think is quite as unpronounceable as all that, even if you are determinedly monoglot. I also think that in a multinational company, refusing to try and pronounce names other than James, Richard, John and William, is just pathetic, but I have (a long while back; we haven't recruited for years,) seen CVs rejected because the name was "unpronounceable." I'd challenge that these days, but I didn't back then. Unsurprisingly, it's a very white department. But we don't have a diversity problem, on account of them employing me.

Aaaaah. I have to come in and let off some steam.

Conversation today at work about diversity. It's one of the "capabilities" we're supposed to display. We scored our team on these capabilities and half said we were doing really well on diversity, half said we weren't. The half who said we were doing well were (coincidentally, not) straight white blokes. Those who said we weren't doing so well were women. Cue a conversation where the blokes got defensive and said things like "we shouldn't count the number of men and women" (this mainly coming from one bloke who has built a team that is ALL male) blah blah blah and refused to listen to those in the room who are best able to assess if diversity is welcomed (by virtue of not being part of the dominant class in the organisation).

I could cry, it was such a textbook an example of why we have a diversity problem!

Oh, and if you google "micromanagement and productivity" the internet almost falls over with the number of hits. How come there are still so many managers who don't get it?

Apparently the sign is OK, because the contractors who put it up only have men working for them.

I said I disagree. Still waiting to hear from higher up about request for policy change. Am prepared to petition the CEO if necessary (he's very into STEM, by all accounts.)

OublietteBravo if she keeps coming to just you then shes going to give other staff the impression your are needing hand holding when in truth you don't compared to your peers, can you divert her to Mr Chaos?

I'm having issues with micro-management at work too. The main culprit is female, and I think she interferes with my work more than she does with that of my male colleagues. I suspect she's trying to be helpful - she made it to the top in an era when nearly all the managers of her level were male. So her expectation is that I will need to do more/be better than my male colleagues to succeed. Bloody annoying though - I'd just like to be able to get on with my job without someone picking up on the one tiny thing that hasn't been done or is slightly less under control. One if my colleagues in particular is much more chaotic in his approach to his work than I am, and I've never seen her pull him up on it.

(Sorry - didn't mean to moan. I'm having a particularly bad week).

Yes, I think you are right. I would assume that if they think that about talking, it will be similar proportions for other things.

Talking of slow men at work, I was doing some of my time projections for the next week or so, as directed - and I realised I am spreading work out more - no point doing that many project-related datacentre days in a single week, as it will make more sense to spread them out one a week to make it easier to make the 50% projects requirement every week...

I think it's around 30% where men start thinking women are dominating, isn't it? Wonder where I read it...

That's why we should have quotas.

Somewhere I read that if there is a certain number of women (and not even that many, certainly well below 50%) people start thinking of women as the norm and unconscious bias is greatly reduced.

Oh, and Bearhug - that is very, very depressing. It's a catch 22 isn't it? Things won't improve for women in IT unless there are more women in the industry pushing for change. But women won't want to enter IT until it becomes more welcoming. It's very unfair that so much pressure to improve things falls on the few women already in there, like you.

Avery interesting blog, Flora. Hmmmm. I tend to call myself a liberal feminist but I don't subscribe to any of the philosophies ascribed to libfem in that blog. Perhaps I am a radfem after all.

Breaking Dad - thanks for the reply.

Flora - brilliant blog post.

I laugh at the "Slow Men at Work" signs ...

liberationcollective.wordpress.com/2015/03/03/leaving-liberal-feminism/

Can I pop this here? It's a really interesting blog post.

Ebearhug isn't there some irony in "Danger - Men working"

Oh good, and a day working at the datacentre, to find a load of signs warning about men working behind doors.

I've asked for a policy change at all datacentres worldwide for the company and any contractors to use non gender-specific wording on signage.

Then I went to the women's loo to find I have the choice of darkness or not locking the door...

Remind me again why I encourage girls to consider working in IT?

It will be nice too if my headache and stuffy nose and cough would go away now.

Can I just say what a pleasure it is to use software that works? I love love love LaTeX! >