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The Internet is often regarded as a hostile environment for women. In order to understand why the Internet has been judged as 'hostile' toward women, one must look at the many of the barriers that face women both in access to computing resources and within the environment of the Internet and computer culture. One of the main barriers is the stereotypes that are associated with each gender and with the field of computing itself. Beginning at birth each gender is treated differently. The difference in treatment, throughout a female's childhood, unintentionally discouraged women from taking computer courses. Enrolment in computer science classes by women is very low because many women do not have the confidence or the interest necessary to deal with computers. This directly influences the use of the Internet by women as a knowledge of computers and technology are fundamental to using the Internet. Women are developing strategies to overcome these barriers. Additionally, through recent educational advances women are becoming more confident and comfortable in using computers. Many manufacturers are also beginning to market their products toward women and girls to give them the same important exposure to computers that males have received. This exposure will increase their confidence in dealing with computers and, hence, the Internet. Many barriers have been presented to women in using the Internet, however, recent advances and strategies are being employed to minimize the barriers encountered by women and hopefully increase their presence on the Internet.
This research paper will aim to answer and explain the question; "If the Internet is a hostile environment for women, why are women one of the fastest growing sectors of the population joining, and participating of the Internet?" We will explore differences in computer use and socialization, technological developments, barriers to access, and coping mechanisms. The Internet is a hostile environment for women because it becomes regarded as a male province through various unintentionally employed gender stereotypes in one's early experiences. There is also a discouraging inequality found in both computer courses and careers that have a greater number of males as opposed to females present. However, it was found that some women are becoming involved in the development of technologies and are more comfortable with computers through recent educational advances accounting for the rising number of women online. We will then present specific policy recommendations that are aimed at equalizing the differences in Internet participation and comfort level between women and men.
In the world of computer systems development, the user is the individual who is to use the computer (Adam, 1998, p. 93). If women make up half the population, why do they make up so much less than half of the users of computer technology? Certainly women aren't uncomfortable with technology in general; women are the main users of so much of the technology that makes up our every day lives, from telephones to vacuum cleaners. If it isn't technology in itself that intimidates women, we must look at why they are so under-represented in their use of computing technologies. Since these technologies are becoming essential in nearly every field and even in every day life, we must decide if we will recognize women's needs or if women will be "forever restricted to working with a product that men designed to fit men's lifestyles and hobbies" (Spender, 1995: p. 169).
Do women really use technology differently? Research indicates that women tend to learn and navigate differently than men (Truong, 1993). Women have different styles of communication, and person-to-person interaction is encouraged in early socialization. In general women like to know how things work before they begin using them; this is in contrast to boys who tend to leap before they look. Young girls are encouraged to be cautious where boys are encouraged to be bold. Women also tend to use technology in a functional way rather than for leisure. This may in part have to do with women's increased responsibility in the home and relatively less time for leisure pursuits, but in the case of computer technology it may also have to do with the fact that computers and software are not designed with women's hobbies and interests in mind. "In software engineering, the move away from technology-centred design towards user-centred design and participative approaches...is a positive initiative, yet there has been little research which sees men and women as possibly separate social groups with different needs and requirements." (Adam, 1998, p. 93)
There are many differences in the treatment of each gender beginning directly after birth. These slight differences account the Internet being perceived as a hostile environment for women. Parents, whether intentionally or not, will often raise their children in a way that promotes gender stereotypes. For example, boys are often associated with blue and girls are associated with pink. This distinction may not seem to be very important, but it will lead to other stereotypes later in life. Genders are treated differently after birth because what is termed 'Kid Culture' - a phenomena that remains stubbornly sex-segregated... girls and boys express different preferences and interests as exposed in their play, with girls being interested in friendship, fairy princesses and talking animals; and boys showing interest in blood and gore, fighting and death, good guys and bad guys (Koch, 1995, p.3). Even as babies, boys and girls are given different toys and their rooms are decorated differently depending on their sex. The toys will be very similar (since they are still babies) but they will have a different theme associated with them. For example, baby boys and girls may both be given stuffed toys, however, the boy might be given a stuffed football, whereas, the girl is likely to be given a stuffed animal.
Along with the toys given to babies, the whole environment, in which they live, is very different. A boy's room, for example, is usually blue and decorated with a variety of 'masculine' themes. These themes include sports, firemen, and robots. A girl's room is usually pink and it is decorated with a variety of 'feminine' themes. These themes include cute animals, princesses, and other objects that provide the room with an overall cute, happy theme. These differences seem insignificant as babies, however, later in life these differences can cause great discrimination between the sexes.
These different themes associated with each gender are used to encourage the children to meet the stereotypes of their gender. "Girls are encouraged, for example, to be nurturing, to develop good verbal skills, and not to be aggressive; boys, in contrast, are encouraged to develop good mathematical skills but not their nurturing capacity or their verbal skills" (Eisenhart, 1992, p. 145). Girls are not encouraged to use computers that encourage collaboration and helping of others, such as in collaborative work or learning, because they are pushed towards a caregiving, personable type of life. "For men in contrast, computers have already become a leisure pursuit" (Spender p. 190). Since girls are encouraged to develop good verbal and nurturing skills, whereas boys are encouraged to have better mathematical and technological skills, the Internet presents itself as a male dominated province which women should not enter.
"As children grow up, opportunities for nontraditional socialization are few and easily eclipsed by the more prevalent traditional pressures" (Eisenhart, 1992, p. 145). As the child begins to age, the different themes of the decorations and toys are further developed into the mind of the child by the way in which the parents and other people speak to the child. A girl is often told that she is a 'cute, little princess,' whereas, a boy is told that he is a 'big, strong boy.' These differences in how a child is spoken to are very influential on the child's interests. Girls are often associated with the stereotypical maternal role of caregiver and nurturer associated with the mother, something that can be seen in the child's play. Girls are often given dolls and imitate the maternal role by playing 'house'. They act as mother for the doll by putting them to bed and feeding them.
Additionally, girls are presented with toys that mimic the mother's traditional role in the kitchen through the use of such products as an 'Easy - Bake Oven.' On the other hand, typical toys for young boys include sports and action figures, which are much more violent and involve more active and aggressive play. These typical toys for boys are usually echoed in the content of video games, as there are many games based on both sports and action figures. This further develops technology to be regarded as a male environment as video games require some 'technical' skill. Many companies market video games specifically at boys, developing games for their interests and aiming advertising at them. Parents are also likely to see video games as a primarily male activity, as demonstrated by studies done on video game use: "In [Gailey's] sample and in other studies done of home video games, almost all the parents claimed to have bought the Nintendo sets for the children, particularly their sons" (Gailey p. 85 - 86). Video games function as an entertaining, easy way to introduce children to the technological advances of society. These games are often said to improve manual dexterity, quick reaction time, and problem solving skills. However, it seems that young girls steer clear of these games. This is such an overwhelmingly apparent theme that "one 1985 study found that kindergarten girls considered video games as a masculine province" (Gailey p. 86). One of the main reasons that girls may feel that video games are of masculine province, is that there are not any female heroes. "In the fantasy - odyssey games, for instance, there are no female characters at all. Females, if they exist, are usually off - stage princesses...'Good' women are shown as cute and unthreatening, usually sequestered invisibly in castles" (Gailey p. 86 - 87). It should be noted that in some cases computers were first used by females but boys later caught up and passed girls in technical experience.
Many girls learn to function with the technology that is found within the home such as vaccuum cleaners, and microwaves. However, boys later use computers for their games and become quite experienced in using their computers that girls are left behind and feel uncomfortable toward computers. Despite an earlier exposure to computers, boys are given a head start in gaining experience with computers, via video games, which develops the image of a hostile environment for the Internet.
The different interests 'forced' upon boys and girls can lead to many different choices later in life. This is even displayed in the child's early teens. In a grade 7/8 classroom, "it became apparent that girls had a tendency to opt out of computer use during classroom free time" (Koch, 1995, p. 1). This is an early sign of how the influences of the parents and toys have influenced the child's life. It is the beginning of the discrimination against women on computers. This 'discrimination' is further exemplified in Koch's article of the grade 7/8 classroom: "I usually visit the school during math class, the students that I have been working with are strong math students who can afford the 'leisure' of computer time, and hence a chat with me. I am constantly amazed that during math class, there are never any females that are able to spend time at the computer. They are always struggling through their math corrections, and if they are spotted at the computers, they are asked to take their seat for math class." (p. 1). This quotation shows that girls are even discouraged from using the computer by their classroom teacher. This is further emphasized by Sherry Turkle who stated "there is the legacy of women's socialisation into relationships with technical skills... it is best summed up by the admonishment, 'Don't touch it, you'll get a shock'" (Spender, p.172-173). This is a clear indication of the various themes of activities that are acceptable for certain genders. Young females are being pushed away from using computers and this stems from a very early age which is unintentionally creating a negative feeling in women towards the Internet.
Video games give boys early exposure to computers giving them an advantage in the education process in such subjects as computers and math. This also encourages boys to be comfortable around computers and thus the Internet. The themes in video games do not appeal to girls because they are "(1) too violent and (2) not sufficiently challenging to sustain interest" (Gailey p. 88). Additionally, "I have learned that teacher attention is directed to boys between 75 - 80 % of the time. This means that teachers direct their attention towards girls only 15 - 25 % of the time. The implications of this lack of attention paid to girls is far-reaching" (Koch, 1995, p. 3). Thus, it is not just the stereotypical video games giving boys an edge in education but it is also the teacher attention. "Teachers praise boys more than girls, give boys more academic help and are more likely to accept boys' comments during classroom discussions" (Sadker, 1987, p. 143).
The discrimination against females moving forward in he computer related field continues in high school. Women are not only pushed away from computer class, they are also pushed away from other important classes such as mathematics and science. The AAUW Report: How Schools Shortchange Girls reveals how young girls receive an inferior education to boys in America's schools. The results of the report indicate that American education dissuades girls from pursuing math-related careers in proportion to boys. Additionally, the study shows that the gender gap in science continues to increase (Wolf, 1998, p. 23). The fact that women are not getting the same education, as males are, in high school is a cause for great concern about the equality of males and females. Men and women tend to choose and excel in different subject areas in school. "The choice of educational routes and achievement in different subject areas by males and females is influenced by a number of factors...most fundamental of these are perceptions of male and female attributes and roles...influenced by stereotypical beliefs" (Colley, 1998, p. 19). This discrimination has been occurring since the child's birth and has been developing and increasing throughout the child's life. It has even reached the extent that women are not even getting the same education as males based solely on the stereotypes of their gender. Thus, not only is the Internet a hostile environment for women but so certain subjects such as math and science.
It is imperative for a person to have an excellent education so that there are many job opportunities after schooling for the individual. "Preference for and choice of subjects in the educational system influence and are influenced by desired career paths. A clear gender gap in the career aspirations of 14-year-olds was recorded... Among the top ten ideal jobs for boys were engineer, pilot and computers, and for girls, nurse, teacher and hairdresser" (Colley, 1998, p. 23). The desired career paths of each gender display the contrast of girls' and boys' affinity for technology. Each of the three positions mentioned by boys requires high technical skill, while the positions chosen by the girls are perceived as requiring minimal technical ability and focusing primarily on nurturing and human interaction. The career paths that were chosen by women, however, do require technical skill. This technical skill is demeaned, if not made invisible by males as it is a different type of technical skill that is required. Society has deemed the word 'technical' to refer to technology, and computing and not other technical skills. It is likely that these plans have been influenced by the child's socialization.
The notion that males are raised to be mathematically- and scientifically-based thinkers, while women are raised to be more nurturing and creative thinkers, has effects on the child that are visible at an early age. In Koch's article, the grade 7/8 class was allotted free time for computer use during math class. Koch stated that girls are rarely seen at the computers because they are "always struggling through their math corrections" (p. 1). This type of thinking has, once again been developed from childhood, but its affects are more pronounced later in life. A recent product from Mattel exemplifies this stereotype. Mattel has developed a computer for both boys and girls. The boys' computer has a 'Hot Wheels' theme, while the girls' model has a 'Barbie' them. Each of these computers is accompanied by twenty software titles. Both computers include a creative writing program, however, the 'Hot Wheels' computer comes with three math and logical thinking games. Although Mattel has developed a computer for both genders, it still contains some discriminatory stereotypes that can affect the females' education later in life. Despite the attempts of the manufacturer to help girls become more comfortable with computers, they are still creating a hostile environment by giving boys more math games. The reason many women may be having trouble with math and science is because they are not exposed to it as early as men are exposed to it. Additionally, this is one of the first computers being marketed specifically for girls giving them the same early exposure to computers as boys. This early exposure is crucial for girls to become comfortable with computers as "females who thought of computers as machines rather than animate (with connotations of being friendly and interactive) were more likely to drop out of an introductory computer course" (Colley, 1998, p. 24). Thus, early differences in the treatment of the men and women directly affect the later choices of each gender. These choices can be seen even as early as in primary and secondary education.
If as stated earlier it is true that women communicate and interact with technology differently than men, it is essential that women be involved in the development of technology. The benefits of and need for interfaces and content that appeal to women has already been made clear, but there needs to be a wider recognition of this need within the development community. There is a common argument from some companies that they do not put resources into products aimed at females because girls are not interested; meanwhile the girls claim that they are not interested because there are not products aimed at them. Leila Chang, a female developer and recent appointment to HiTech Entertainment, claims that the very little that has been produced for girls has often been a 25-year-old male's idea of what a little girl would like to play. (Spender, 1995, p. 187). Because companies are wary of producing titles aimed at girls, it becomes a little clearer why women may not be drawn to an industry that does not think their values and ideas are commercially feasible. Having so few women in the industry means that for the most part the development culture is lacking an understanding of half the potential market. The question arises whether the few titles that are released were "designed with girl's values in mind, with some knowledge of women's ways of knowing and doing, or [whether] the programmers just ply their skills with Barbie rather than Mortal Kombat" (Spender, 1995, p. 187).
Since it seems so important that women become involved in the development of technologies, we are confronted with the question of why there are not more women pursuing a career in computing technologies when it is so clearly a growing and profitable field. In fact, the percentage of women in computer science actually dropped from 22% in 1978 to 11% in 1993 (Spender, 1995, p. 185). Peers, educators, and even women themselves often cast doubt on women's seriousness and qualifications for careers in computer science. With women being constantly told that they can't "do computers", it is understandable that few women enter the field.
In the MIT survey of men and women enrolled in the Computer Science program, when the students were asked if the program was very competitive compared with other majors 68% of men and 73% of women indicated this was somewhat true or very true (Adams, 1995). Since women have very few female peers in their program, this can be an isolating experience - especially if the atmosphere suggests an "us against them" attitude to women. Because of their early experiences, women find that they are not prepared for the heavily entrenched computer subculture. The culture shock they experience can result from a lack of knowledge of the "lingo", or even an inability to cope with the sex and violence driven values that go directly against the usual female socialization. Culture differences can result in exclusion from social activities, especially when activities are chosen which are unlikely to appeal to women. One author of this paper (who is enrolled in computer science) is reminded of a recent experience with a university computer club meeting at which she was the only female member present. The end of the year activities being debated were paintball and lasertag, both of which would be likely to exclude her participation. Women may be wary of objecting to these male-oriented activities out of concern that they will be seen as interfering with enjoyment of the group and so become more isolated from them. Having a network of supportive peers is essential to making students feel comfortable and confident in their area of study. If women feel that they do not fit into the culture, it is unlikely that they will want to pursue a career in that area.
Besides culture fit, there are several situations unique to women that they must confront if they wish to pursue a degree or career in computer science. In both higher education and industry, computer work such as programming usually means many late nights in laboratories. Women are less likely to be comfortable walking home or to their car in the small hours of the morning. This can put restrictions on when and where the woman can work, and may effectively reduce the hours she can devote to the work. Within the labs, it has been observed that men tend to dominate the computers that are often in limited supply. This is a continuation of the situations in many elementary and highschool computerized classes where "it is not uncommon to see boys of all ages actively seizing the machines, and physically pushing the girls away" (Spender, 1995, p. 177). Lab administrators and Faculty are also likely to be exclusively male, making it difficult for women to find someone for support and also making it more likely that poor behaviour will be ignored or condoned. Women are less likely to be able to network effectively with an all-male Faculty, and some male Faculty may feel uncomfortable with women students or even believe they are not serious students. Sexual Harassment, which will be discussed later in this paper, is one barrier to women networking with both faculty and their peers. Women who have had a bad experience can become over-sensitized to harassment, and so mistrust men without evidence to support it; men may be wary of becoming friendly with female students out of fear that their actions could be misinterpreted. (Spertus, 1991)
We have established that the current culture of computer development is lacking both in its representation of women and in its recognition of women's needs and preferences for content and design. We have also discussed reasons why women are discouraged from computer science and the field of computer development. What is the implication of these factors for women's participation on the Internet? If current technology is not designed for women's needs, it will discourage their use of the computer, and hence the Internet. Less experience with the computer means that they are less likely to feel prepared for more advanced aspects of computing technology, and less likely to break the cycle of male-centric development. The Internet is touted as a giant resource for information, but the production of content for the Internet is still seen as a technical task instead of simply the publication of ideas. Because women are socialized to believe that men are the producers of technology (something which is statistically borne out in fact), they are more likely to take on a passive role on the Internet and continue the stereotype that women don't "do computers".
A defining element in portraying gender differences is found in the media. The media heavily influences the people of today's society through the use of television, newspapers, and magazines. An advertisement for a particular product displays the product's targeted market. The media has developed the notion in many people to believe that technology - based items are 'masculine'. This leads to a hostile feeling in women toward technology and, most notably, the Internet. Video games are, without question, targeted at young boys. This belief is displayed by the following quotation, "Judging from the themes in the games, preadolescent boys are obviously the targeted market" (Gailey p. 86). This is also portrayed by many advertisements themselves. In a "Toys 'R Us" flyer found in the Hamilton Spectator on November 20, 1999, a young boy is pictured playing video games for Nintendo64. This advertisement does not have any females present. Additionally, the games being featured in the ad did not have any female themes or characters noticeable to the reader. The games included 'Ready 2 Rumble Boxing,' 'Super SMASH Bros.,' 'Donkey Kong 64,' and 'Jet Force Gemini.' These games follow the stereotypes of the 'kid culture' that is, boys are generally more aggressive and females are more nurturing. Additionally, in the same flyer, there is an advertisement for handheld video board games such as 'Connect Four,' 'Yahtzee,' and 'Trivial Pursuit.' These board games are considered somewhat gender neutral, however, the ad for these handheld video versions of the games only features a young boy. This gives the stereotypical impression that these handheld games are only for boys.
In addition to these video game advertisements, there is a whole line of video games directed toward boys. This product is called 'Game Boy' and it is manufactured by Nintendo. 'Game Boy,' in its title, shows that this product is directed toward a young male consumer. In this case, the advertisements are not even required to learn the directed market of the product. 'Game Boy' gives a clear indication of the target audience of video games. Furthermore, the lack of female involvement in video game advertisements is also apparent in computer advertisements. If a male is present in a computer ad, he is usually active with the computer. If a woman is present in an ad, she is usually passive (i.e., in the background) with the computer. Given these characteristics of computer advertisements, manufacturers are implying that the computer is to be used by men. This stereotype has been developed from childhood and continues through adulthood. "The major problem for girls appears to be lack of confidence and increased anxiety in using computers" (Colley, 1998, p. 24). This confidence is built at a young age in boys through video games. As mentioned earlier, Mattel has developed a 'Hot Wheels' computer designed just for boys, and a 'Barbie' computer designed just for girls. Questionably in the initial advertising campaign it was the Hot Wheels PC advertised on television, with two young boys featured "at the wheel" - the Barbie PC was only briefly mentioned at the end of the commercial.
Advertising goes far beyond video games to present the Internet as a hostile environment. The media creates 'masculine' and 'feminine' themes that are employed by society at all ages. The themes directly influence the behavior of boys and girls as they base much of their opinion on what they see. The media emphasizes that video games are for boys which leads to girls steering clear of this form of entertainment. This feeling continues in advertisements for computers. Women are pushed away from both video games and computers by the media, which helps build the notion of the hostile environment of the Internet in women. Video games, computers, and the Internet are presented by the media as leisure items for males. Thus, advertising discourages women from using the Internet.
There are many barriers and hostilities involving the computer that women need to overcome in order to gain her rightful place within the computer industry. Inequality within the computer industry is a phenomenon which as we have seen began in early childhood during which time girls were "systematically, if unintentionally, discouraged from a wide range of academic pursuits, particularly in math and science". (Wolf, 1998) This discouragement often leads to a lack of self-confidence when dealing with computers, which in turn leads to a lack of interest. "Female students in computer science reported both overt and subtle discrimination with acute consequences" (Frenkle, 1990). Females who do pursue a computer science degree reported feeling an extreme bias towards male students within the classroom. Women within the classroom experience "invisibility, where they may be ignored, interrupted, not looked in the eye, or simply not consulted for professional opinions." (Cottrell, 1992) The bias towards men does not end at graduation, but for the women who do pursue an interest within the computer industry, the fight has just begun as many more barriers will have to be overcome.
Women are not being offered equal position or treated similarity within the workforce. "70% of women felt they had to work harder than their male counterparts to get comparable pay, and 78% felt they received comparable pay whey they started, but were not promoted as rapidly", as seen in the study by Eleonor Baum, Dean of the School of Engineering at Copper Union. (Frenkle, 1990) Males co-workers are "likely to identify with, encourage, and mentor another male, rather than a female" (Truong, 1993) which often results in "patronizing behaviour, including talking down to women, taking over tasks they have started, or extravagantly praising their merest efforts. "(Cottrell, 1992) Due to the fact that use of the computer and technology is fundamental to use of the Internet it is believed there is correlation between the proportion of women in the computer industry and proportion of women online due mainly to the barrier presented through education and the work force.
The lack of women online may be due to many different factors, one of the main ones being economics. "On average, women's salaries are 40% lower than men's, leaving women with less disposable income for computers, modems, software, on-line services and any additional phone charges" (Truong, 1993) There also exists the very real phenomenon of a women's double day. "Women come home from paid jobs to dinner, dishes, cranky children, and tired husbands" (Wolf, 1998), leaving them less free time to learn to use and explore the internet. (Truong, 1993) Women must also contend with the issue of "tenure clock vs. biological clock", with the result often being "the academic route and tenure being incompatible with having a family". (Frenkle, 1990) Therefore, many women will choose a family over a career in the computer industry thus decreasing their chances of obtaining executive positions within corporations.
The Internet is a threatening place for women due to "the pornography, mail bombs, online sexual harassment and flames: (Wolf, 1998); all of which lurk behind one click of the mouse. Most barriers to women occur once they have logged on to the Internet. Harassment exists on line in two forms: material received by a woman and material posted about women (Spertus, 1996). Women can be harassed in the form of a picture, attitude, or e-mail. The most common form of harassment is "flaming", which is a highly aggressive language pattern. "Suggestive or obscene behaviour that is unwelcome or viewed as inappropriate by the woman to whom it is directed." (Cottrell, 1992) People will say things online that they would never say in a face to face conversation, for example on a bulletin board in the Bay Area, a conference was started that compared women to pets that occasionally need to be put to sleep (Truong, 1993). Women are often "ignored, trivialized, or criticized by men who have a tendency to forget that there is an "actual human being at the receiving end of one's emotional outbursts" (Herring, 1993).
The lack of interest regarding the Internet by woman could be due to the fact that there are very few sites geared towards the interest of women. The software is gender biased; geared towards males, and is thus more alluring to males (Frenkle, 1990). Companies are fearful of designing software geared towards females, as they believe their main market is male, and they fear losing there male customers if they start advertising toward female interests. (Frenkel, 1990) There also exists very few postings or conferences that are of interest to women. The Internet is designed by and geared towards males, which results in domination by males. This is a major barrier that women have overcome in recent years but an area they are still drastically improving.
Therefore it is obvious that females must contend with many different types of barriers when dealing with computers and the Internet. The Sacramento Bee argues that "women could be the high tech leader of tomorrow, if parent and teachers encourage their interests in computers" (Favre, 1996). Because computers tend to be associated with feelings or attitudes that women find uncomfortable, women have had to devise certain strategies in order to protect themselves and prevent being left behind in a society that is becoming dominated by computers and the Internet. This portion of the essay will focus on strategies used by women that have devised which have allowed them to become one of the fastest growing sectors of the population joining and participating on the Internet.
In order to avoid online harassment some females log-on to the Internet with a male identity or a neutral identity, thus allowing females "to escape boundaries and categories that have in the past constrained their activities and their identities". (Lawley, 1993) Women may avoid stating their opinion on certain topics while online and seem to sit on the sidelines while men "are airing their opinions and getting all the attention." (Herring,1993) In some cases the only way for a woman to avoid being the target of harassment or confrontation is to avoid the situation altogether, for that reason women may only log on to conferences and mailing lists designed for women only. (Truong, 1993) These lists provide a comfortable environment for women online, and are models of cooperative discourse, allowing women to gain influence online. (Herring, 1993) There is also the means online to completely block contact from unwanted individuals using specific tools designed for that purpose (Spertus, 1996), thus allowing each individual the freedom to accept the type of message, and messages from specific parties while not infringing on the rights of others.
One of the main strategies of women in recent years has been in the area of education as seen earlier in the essay. "Women are striving to develop a more inclusive understanding of the social relations and ideologies of technological processes" (Lawley, 1993), therefore overcoming their initial fear of computers. Women are taking this a step further and advocating that educational institutions need "to concentrate on applications of computer programming in order to attract women to computer science classes" (Cottrell, 1992) These institutions are encouraged to make the teaching environment within computer science safe and welcoming for women. One method for accomplishing this task is through well representation of women staff and an equal level of professionalism when answering a question posed by a female student. (Cottrell, 1992)
There has also been a great deal of effort put forth in the area of education of online communities. Education programs have been centered around issues of harassment, and how harassment affects the person on the opposite end. Many people do not realize that some women find certain issues and topics threatening and disturbing. Women's advocate groups have begun to develop discipline programs, "bringing an offensive message to the attention of people who know the sender on- or off-line, causing him to suffer the social or professional consequences of his behaviour" (Spertus, 1996). Managers are encouraged to treat all complaints of sexual harassment seriously and companies should have "clearly enunciated policy of progressive discipline, ranging from warnings to terminations, depending on the severity of the offense." (Truong, 1993) Therefore certain behaviour online will lead to specific consequences in the real world.
Women are joining together providing support for one another. Women place a high value on the wants and needs of others and have encouraged retreats for women employees to discuss "gender issues faced by women in the computer industry and strategies to overcomes these issues". (Truong, 1993) Women are proactive in developing sites against flaming, and sites that are geared towards the interests of women. There are now hundred of feminine web sites flooding the Internet, we are no longer letting the boys push us out of the way". (DeLoach, 1996) Women are becoming active leaders in today's society providing more and more role models in executive positions within the computer industry, providing the motivation and support needed for many younger females considering a career within the computer industry. (Frenkel, 1990)
Due to many of the strategies mentioned above, women have become one of the fastest growing percentages of users of the World Wide Web. It was stated between 1994 and 1997 women as a percentage of all users of the World Wide Web increased from 5% to 31% while men dropped from 95% to 69%. (Cuneo, 1999) A special report by the Sacremento Bee states that women of all ages are logging on to the information superhighway (Favre, 1996). Women are reaching positions of influence within the computer business mainly due to desktop computers. Desktop computers have made huge changes in the daily work life of millions of people, many of which are female secretaries.
The women of today's society have overcome many barriers but there are still many more to overcome. The gender gap on the Internet has been decreasing rapidly in recent years, but it now seems to be holding at a 20% gap. (Cuneo, 1999) This gap may never close due specifically to the dual role of women as mother and professional. Women will always need to balance their household duties with time spent on the Internet. Men and women constitute different parts of society with different likes and dislikes and often-different goals. (Herring) Men have been the driving force behind the internet while women sat on the sidelines saying and doing very little. As women begin to play an active role in computer science, they will bring with them different skills and approaches that will enhance the field of computer science. It is important that women be included and play an active role in the recommendations and policies passed regarding the Internet and Internet use.
Although the gap between women and men has been decreasing since the Internet became public domain, this rate is leveling off. There are too many barriers to women's participation, some stemming from the early childhood experiences, which contribute to this inequality in access to and participation on the Internet. It is impractical to expect that the differences will naturally equalize over time without fundamental changes to the way women are socialized, taught, treated, and given access to technical resources. Women themselves need to take an active role in promoting technical proficiency and participation, and society as a whole needs to recognize the value of ensuring that women take an active role in developing and using computer technologies. This said, we would like to make the following recommendations:
Avoid giving women differential treatment, even in a positive way. While the current effects of unequal treatment are having obvious detrimental effects, preferential treatment could also prove negative. Girls may see this preferential treatment as patronizing. "Quota" policies can have the effect of making people distrust women's qualifications, and can lower women's self-esteem, both of which are already problems in the area of computing technology. (Spertus, 1991)
Improving positive early experiences in education and the home will have an impact on women's perception of the computer and the Internet. In education, this may include stricter policies in the area of elementary or higher level education that would ensure equal access and equal treatment with respect to computer technology. In the home, parents must be educated about the influence their actions have on young girls' opinions of and comfort with technology.
Positive female role models, especially having female instructors in computer-related subjects. Helping women to remain in computer science programs longer, or helping them to re-enter the field after having children, will increase the number of women in positions of influence and the pool of mentors available to younger women.
Encouraging current developers to design with women in mind will help make computer and information technologies more appealing to women. Consulting with women, rather than making assumptions about their preferences, is the only way to truly represent their interests.
Encouraging women to pursue an active role in the development of these technologies will allow them to have more control in developing applications that meet their needs.
Creating Internet spaces that are woman-friendly will encourage women to explore the Internet. Also, encouraging women to become content developers on the Web will allow them to present information that attracts women to the web. Technological advances (ie software) that make content dissemination easier for non-technical users would facilitate this. Although a basic set of skills would still be required, women in non-technical disciplines may be encouraged to use the Internet as a publication medium if they are not intimidated by a need for advanced technical knowledge.
This essay set out to answer the question "If the Internet is a hostile environment for women, why are women on e of the fastest growing sectors of the population joining, and participating on, the Internet? What measure, is any, would you recommend to equalize the differences in internet participation and comfort level between women and men?" The Internet is indeed a hostile environment for women due to factors beginning as early as childhood. Women have had to devise strategies in order to overcome many of the barriers they face when dealing not only with the Internet, but computers in general. Through implementing many of the proposals devised throughout this paper, it is believed that women will begin to gain some control online. Women will not only gain control but will succeed in contributing ideas and perspectives currently lacking online. We hope we will never discover what the repercussions to our computer-orientated society would be if women, half the population, are not prepared or don't have any input into tomorrow's electronic world.
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No Author Given "Achieving Gender Equity in Science Classrooms" Office of the Dean of the College at Brown University, 1996. [Online] http://www.brown.edu.Administration/Dean_of_the_College/homepgf.../Equity_handbook.html (October 15, 1999)
No Author Given "Gender, Law, and Cyberspace" Conference Proceeding of Virtue and Virtuality. April 20-21, 1996 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. [Online] http://web.mit.edu/womens-studies/www/sex.html (October 15, 1999)
No Author Given "SmartSource Extra" flyer, insert in the Hamilton Spectator. p 10 - 11 of the flyer. Saturday November 20, 1999. Also available online: http://www.hotwheelspc.com and http://www.barbiepc.com
No Author Given "Toys 'R' Us" flyer, insert in the Hamilton Spectator. p. 1 of the flyer. Saturday November 20, 1999.
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