Grace, Lynn, This is not about Makerere or even the profession. I happen to think we are in the world's most helpful profession with data EVERYWHERE for free on the internet. Even organisations like Women in Technology are very much like most of our names in Linux (Wine: Wine Is Not an Emulator, Yast: Yet Another Setup Tool). The irony being that the organisation to promote women in tech is made up of women in tech meeting other women in tech to encourage other women in tech to join the organisation of women in tech (talk about recursion!!). The ratio of women teachers to men is like 6:4! When I was in primary school, one of my friends Dad drove a taxi. we could not go home until the mischievous football playing sod was found and brought to the taxi (the man could not leave his son). Similarly, all these women have to do (FAWE) is set a quota of female students per class and vow not to start teaching until that quota is met. These women can vow to leave no girl behind!! Recently FAWE voted to stop funding the boy child (I have the minutes for that Nairobi meeting). I feel that was causing another problem in order to solve another. Similarly to giving girls 5 free points. At the end of the day, if competition is fair, an employer when faced by a choice between a boy or girl should first subtract the 5 free points then see if the girl is STILL better cause that is fair. The information technology industry to my knowledge does not have an inherent bias against females. It is not a urinal where they have to pee standing up!! Some of my most respected mentors in IT are women!! I am a developer on the Microsoft stack so forgive me for reeling off only female developers in that area. I know Beth Massi for Lightswitch, I know Julia Lerman for Entity Framework, I know Rachels Reese and Appel who work for Developer Express , I know Mary Jo Foley the journalist, Jenny Beland who works for Xceed, Sara Ford formally with Microsoft. These are just the few people I interact with on a daily basis as a Microsoft developer. I could also name Anne Besigiroha of Bank of Uganda and Josephine Olok formerly of Equity now Barclays. Basically, it is not gender but interest and opportunity. The opportunities are endless but is there interest? How do you encourage interest? Get the girls EARLY!! Go to schools and make women in tech more visible!! Microsoft has a program whereby they go around interviewing their leading women and giving them the spotlight they deserve maybe that is what women in technology should do. Instead of holding a caucus or retreat (like some people I won't mention) they should go visit schools and talk to the young ladies at olevel. Encourage them to love the sciences and to pick up IT skills early. I only got to where I am cause I picked up the love for pcs very very early. Sorry for bending your ears out of shape but I get so upset when people blame segregation for something then segregate to solve it.
Jake Markhus -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Grace Tuwangye Sent: 24 October 2011 23:07 To: [email protected]; Uganda Linux User Group Subject: Re: [LUG] Women in Technology Uganda Do you have the enrollment figures for Makerere, that would be a starting point On Oct 24, 2011, at 3:25 PM, [email protected] wrote: > Hi Grace,unfortunately not.As young ugandan lady,participation of > women in computer science or as developers is still very low compared to men.I followed the recent garage48 event on twitter and only 5 girls(or less) participated.Last week was the water hackthon at makerere university where 10 girls particpated.The number of girls enrolling in computer science or engineering is still very low.I attend a semester at makerere university.I'm looking forward to this even though I won't be able to attend. Lynn Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you! > > -----Original Message----- > From: Grace Tuwangye <[email protected]> > Sender: [email protected]: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:12:39 > To: Uganda Linux User Group<[email protected]> > Reply-To: Uganda Linux User Group <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [LUG] Women in Technology Uganda > > I think we need Men in Tech > If you look at most vital signs, women are overtaking men in several > areas, university enrollment, etc > > > > > > On Oct 24, 2011, at 5:25 AM, Reinier Battenberg <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Hi, >> >> It seems like the women on this list have a new network they can subscribe to, and a first meeting planned this friday. >> >> http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2379007676/?ref=estw >> >> Have fun! >> >> -- >> rgds, >> >> Reinier Battenberg >> Director >> Mountbatten Ltd. >> +256 758 801 749 >> www.mountbatten.net >> http://twitter.com/batje >> http://twitter.com/mapuganda >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> The Uganda Linux User Group: http://linux.or.ug >> >> Send messages to this mailing list by addressing e-mails to: >> [email protected] Mailing list archives: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >> Mailing list settings: http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/lug >> To unsubscribe: http://kym.net/mailman/options/lug >> >> The Uganda LUG mailing list is generously hosted by INFOCOM: >> http://www.infocom.co.ug/ >> >> The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including attachments if any). The mailing list host is not responsible for them in any way. > _______________________________________________ > The Uganda Linux User Group: http://linux.or.ug > > Send messages to this mailing list by addressing e-mails to: > [email protected] Mailing list archives: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > Mailing list settings: http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/lug > To unsubscribe: http://kym.net/mailman/options/lug > > The Uganda LUG mailing list is generously hosted by INFOCOM: > http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > > The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including attachments if any). The mailing list host is not responsible for them in any way. > _______________________________________________ > The Uganda Linux User Group: http://linux.or.ug > > Send messages to this mailing list by addressing e-mails to: > [email protected] Mailing list archives: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > Mailing list settings: http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/lug > To unsubscribe: http://kym.net/mailman/options/lug > > The Uganda LUG mailing list is generously hosted by INFOCOM: > http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > > The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including attachments if any). The mailing list host is not responsible for them in any way. _______________________________________________ The Uganda Linux User Group: http://linux.or.ug Send messages to this mailing list by addressing e-mails to: [email protected] Mailing list archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Mailing list settings: http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/lug To unsubscribe: http://kym.net/mailman/options/lug The Uganda LUG mailing list is generously hosted by INFOCOM: http://www.infocom.co.ug/ The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including attachments if any). The mailing list host is not responsible for them in any way. _______________________________________________ The Uganda Linux User Group: http://linux.or.ug Send messages to this mailing list by addressing e-mails to: [email protected] Mailing list archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Mailing list settings: http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/lug To unsubscribe: http://kym.net/mailman/options/lug The Uganda LUG mailing list is generously hosted by INFOCOM: http://www.infocom.co.ug/ The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including attachments if any). The mailing list host is not responsible for them in any way.
