I joined the sitepoint board just to post a reply! I’ve been subscribed to the newsletter but never felt a need to respond until now.
There is a need for a women’s only organization to help promote and energize the female population of technically focused individuals. I went to college for Computer Science ('00) and graduated as the only female in my class. Then my first job out of school I was the first woman hired. I think that freaked out my male colleagues, because the company told them they had to behave and take down the porn hanging in their cubes. As I continued through my career, I went back for my MBA and joined the ranks of management on the product side. Now from up here, I can tell you that there is a void of women at this level. And it gets worse the higher up you go. Why is that? I think Sheryl Sandberg outlined it best in her book Lean In, but I don’t agree with her advice. Women tend to have babies at the age when their careers take off. So, by the time they should be moving up in ranks, they are taking off time for maternity leave and caring for their children. Women still are the household member who cooks dinner, does dishes, and does laundry. Having a job and taking care of a family is a crushing experience for many. I think having a support network for that kind of life is really empowering. I love meeting other women who are able to offer at the very least, an “I get it” kind of nod. That’s enough for me. Because it’s hard. And not that men don’t experience this too - because I know they do, my father raised me alone. But it’s a different expectation out of a woman than there is for a man. Okay done rant 