Action Alert | No Women… Big Problem
Conference season is in full swing, and more conferences are learning how to navigate our new world of virtual and in-person events. One thing we haven’t learned is how to get rid of the all-male panel (manel). Yep, the “manel” is still happening.
We are seeing more individuals and advocacy accounts engaging in meaningful dialogue with event organizers. They may be responding directly to speaker announcements, but they're not just "calling out"; they're asking more profound questions about pipelines and providing the names of women and nonbinary experts who can speak. Progress!
This week we tallied AWS IMAGINE: Nonprofit and Techstrong Cybersecurity Live! and found that both need more women.
AWS IMAGINE: Nonprofit
The AWS IMAGINE: Nonprofit conference will cover ways to re-imagine mission delivery, fundraising operations, storytelling, and engagement with a focus on the need to celebrate change for a better world. Not much re-imagining is happening when 75% of all speakers are men. Having more women lead these discussions is mission-critical for a no-cost event that brings together nonprofit leaders, technologists, and innovators to discuss how technology can drive positive impact.
Is it an industry issue? We’re not sure. In 2018 the American Association of University Women (AAUW) found that 75% of the workers that make up the nonprofit sector were women (even though less than 75% were in leadership positions).
Techstrong Cybersecurity Live!
If “2022 will be a critical year in cybersecurity”, why is Techstrong’s Cybersecurity Live! in Atlanta, Georgia a 100% men-only speaking event? Special thanks to the community members that spoke up and engaged conference participants in dialogue around the missing voices of women.
Is it an industry issue or gross oversight? We are leaning toward the latter. A 2018 (ISC)² study revealed that women made up 24% of the cybersecurity workforce. Although the cybersecurity industry's representation of gender has not reached parity, hosting an event with zero women speakers is just unacceptable.
Your Voice Counts!
We believe that women’s voices count. Let the conferences you attend know that you care who’s on their virtual and in-person stages. Reach out on social media, through their support email, or chatbox to request that they include more women in their programming!
The manel often happens in the planning process, which can be avoided. We’ve put together five tips to help conference organizers ponder as they put together their speaker line-up.
Light the Flame with Inspiring Reads
How can we challenge ideas about gender and expertise so that women can claim their place at the table, take their time at the mic, or rise to power and influence? We hope this week’s reads empower and inspire your advocacy and thinking.
Dice’s annual Equality in Tech Report is available. Over 7,200 respondents shared perspectives from technologists on racial and gender equality in the tech world and within our organizations.
Komorebi Collective co-founder Kinjal Shah has mentored over 100 women in the past year. Read more about what inspired Shah to use venture capital and crypto to empower women in tech.
How are Chinese attitudes toward gender equality changing? This brief history of how China’s society is changing in its approach to these issues demonstrates the need for a diverse understanding of feminism.
Psst… Sharing is caring! If you enjoy our weekly love letter to gender equality, pass it on to a friend, colleague, organization, or event planner you know!
📣🚨 We gotta ask AWS IMAGINE: Nonprofit and Techstrong Cybersecurity Live… Where are the women? 🤔 75% of #IMAGINENonprofit speakers are men. And 100% of speakers at #TechstrongLiveDaysATL are men. Yikes! #GenderAvenger