Gender Gap in Computing 2014

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Gender Gap in Computing:
a problem?
BCC40 USP, SP
Valeria de Paiva
NLP/AI Research Lab,
Sunnyvale, CA
(Thanks to Orna Kupferman for slides!)

Gender Gap in TCS?
– Is there a gender gap problem?
– Should any CS dept. reserve positions/apply affirmative action/provide
incentives to hire women in academic positions?
– Should any CS dept. aggressively balance gender in committees and
elected bodies?
– How much money (if any) should a dept. invest in gender balance?
– How much (seemingly) academic compromise should a dept. tolerate
in steps towards gender balance?
– Thanks to Orna Kupferman, (LiCS2013) we have some data…

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“The scissors diagram”, Israel, 1995
w 1995
m 1995

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“The scissors diagram”, Israel, 2009
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From 1995 to 2009
w 2009
m 2009
w 1995
m 1995

Why gender equality:
1. Pure economical justification, human assets
2. Equality, especially in the academia produces results
3. Heterogeneity leads to a better working environment
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women
men

Cognitive differences???
!"#$%&"'()"#*(+,")-
:
./(0+1"2#)+&#(%3(+045"#$%&6(7889

Proportion of women graduating in Israel
Pro-women acts did make a difference:
undergraduate master phd

1. Postdoc as a significant barrier.
2. Traditional roles in the family, overlap between the
first years of an academic career and of motherhood,
different “priorities in life”, expectations of the
society.
3. Viewing the academia as a
cold and competitive place.
4. (Some fields, mainly natural sciences): masculine image.
5. Stereotypical thinking, preference of the like in
situations of uncertainty, lack of
women in “the corridor culture”.

Why so few?
Gender bias!
Exists, indeed, also in our own backyard.

Competence score (“grade the applicant”) vs. scientific
productivity (publications, citations)

ISF success rate in grant proposals:
(5-10% out of ~35%, thus 15-30%)
women success rate
men success
rate

More:
-Analysis of recommendation letters (312
letters to leading medicine schools in US):
significant disparity in superlatives,
confidence in the recommendation, length,
technical details,…
-Adding a curtain in orchestra auditions
increased the number of women by 30%-60%.
- …
“after some periods of drought, she seems to find her
place…”, “…took her a long time to found a lab”, “… little
participation in international meetings…”
Lack of awareness…

Gender bias: intentional or subconscious?
Subconscious, and the stronger is the claim to control
the subconscious, the stronger the bias is.

Penalties for success: reaction to women who succeed in men gender-typed tasks (2004)
Personality: who is nice?
We got the position, now what?

Why so few?
1. Postdoc.
2. Motherhood.
3. Atmosphere.
4. Masculine fields.
5. Gender bias.

• Barriers that money can solve / involve an academic compromise.
• We don’t want to perpetuate the traditional roles in the family.
• We want parents to enjoy their kids (and vice versa).
• Kids grow up, faculty members are here for many years.
Note, beware, remember:
What can we do?
1. Postdoc.
2. Motherhood.
3. Atmosphere.
5. Gender bias.

- Give up postdoc abroad?
- Financial aid to women
postdocs.
- Reduce concerns.
- Start early.
- Help the mothers!
- Legitimization to being slow.
- Legitimization to having
difficulties.
- Family-friendly campuses.
- Warm the atmosphere.
- Talk about gender issues:
meetings, discussion forums.
- Mentoring (not just
atmosphere).
- Gender bias can be cured!
(slowly).
- Increase awareness: gender
workshop, gender guardians.
- Balance committees and bodies.
What can we do?
1. Postdoc.
2. Motherhood.
3. Atmosphere.
5. Gender bias.
Straightforward: (almost)
- Approach highschool
girls.
- Role models.

Questions & Discussion

Gender Gap in Computing 2014

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