I'm tired of seeing everything linked to sexism in tech. Moreover, sexism isn't a female only problem: try (as a male) to get a job in a kindergartn or a nursery school.
Problems in other industries are no justification for ignoring our own--is this an argument you are seriously making? Really?
There are definitely sexism problems in education. Especially kinder, pre-school, and primary school levels. This also has flow on effects to the IT sector. 80% women teachers is a common amount in countries like UK/Australia. Not sure of the stats in other countries.
The IT sector is doing better in addressing the problems compared to Education sector. The IT sector has made some good progress in the last few years. Some companies are going from 0%-20% to 40% women. There are outreach programs at many conferences and in many open source groups. If you look at the conference websites for teachers you don't see the same efforts. Lots left to do though.
I think the IT industry can take pride in it has accomplished in comparison to education in recent years. IT is doing well compared to the journalism industry too (male dominated).
Still lots left to do, and just because some industries are doing badly it doesn't mean we can't do better. But we also shouldn't ignore the good progress we have made.
You cannot create a picture of equal sexism by demonstrating a low-power, low-economic status, low opportunity-of-career-advancement role (that has traditionally been a female-only occupation due in-part to traditional gender-specific roles around child-rearing) where men who choose to enter it are viewed with scepticism. Especially if that role includes close, private contact with young children.
Feminists like me want an equal share of the good jobs for women throughout all strata of all industries. Men will undoubtably have to take up some of the low-paid shit jobs to compensate—but that is equality.
Sexism is a female only problem and will continue to be as long as men hold most of the power and are afforded most of the best opportunities.
Sexism isn't about the industry or about career advancement is about discrimination against a gender for a given category of jobs.
You are confusing cause and effect.
You are concentrating on a tiny percentage of evidence in the counter direction hugely outbalanced by the weight of evidence in the main direction.
Sexism is a huge problem for women and a tiny problem for men. So small, in fact, it statistically it does not exist.
Look at the balance of the scales not the tiny fleck on one side.
Sexism is about balance not uniformity. It is about power and opportunity. Not everything has to be equal for us to eradicate it.
As long as the problem is stacked against women we should be concentrating on sexism against women.
Equality is not about uniformity — it is about the overall balance.
You are picking small examples where women outnumber men and are claiming cause and effect. Show me a genuinely powerful organisation or occupation that discriminates against men and I'll fight it with you.
Looking at Kindergarten teachers is a red herring. Look at board members, police & army chiefs, presidents, government minsters, nobel prize winners etc. THat's where the power is so that is where the sexism is.
Power & opportunities; not uniformity.
I think that this uncompromising attitude harms your cause rather than help it, though. I am a big proponent of equality of opportunity, fighting for it whenever I see gender discrimination in my regular circle. But this adversarial form of feminism makes otherwise compromising men dig in their heels, and you end up with a battle of the sexes rather than the possibility for change. I will never support a cause that claims that 50% of the world's population is exempt from the right to claim discrimination. Thankfully only part of the feminist movement has views that are this extreme.
If you have a major flood in your garden you don't rush to sort out a dripping tap. First you tackle the flood then you investigate the tap. Anyone shouting 'the tap, the tap!' would be quite rightfully lambasted as unhelpful.
Nursing & childcare are statistically women-only due to sexism against women, not due to sexism against men. These are low-paying, low-power jobs where only the bosses tend to be male.
If some women are protectionist about men joining their ranks (which, by the way, I highly doubt until I see some evidence — I have met many of both) it is probably due either due to fears of pedophilia (almost certainly unfair) or due to fears that men will be promoted over them (very real).
Anti-male sexism in the work-place is a red-herring. It is a minuscule problem compared to anti-female sexism and, to my ears, carping on about it sounds as misplaced as white males going on about being discriminated by ethnic minorities.
Can you name one company who wouldn't take a more competent female developer over a male developer?
How many female developers does your company have?
Mine has 0/6. My previous company, that actively sought female developers had around 15%, the company before that had 3 out of 100+, before that one out of 30.
Women make up 51% of the population and, at least in the UK, are getting better school results in science & maths than men.
And yet what percentage of the developer population is female? 10%? more? less?
So it looks like either the companies are not taking the more competent developers or the women are less competent.
Are you therefore claiming that female developers are less competent than male developers?
Obviously not everyone agrees what is sexist.