Women in
technology all over the world are facing similar challenges, says Shruti, one of the coordinators
of the conference. Women are stereotyped throughout the career that they are
not good enough to pursue a career in computing, which seriously decreases
their self confidence. There is a scarcity of women role-models and mentors
which women can emulate, mostly leaving them to carve a niche on their own.
Women, being so little in number, are alienated at workplace and college by
their peers, which significantly demoralize them. Women also lack access to influential
social networks which limit their career growth. Shruti adds that, in India, the gender roles
defined for women are more exacting than in other parts of the world, leaving
them with a poor work-life balance.
Grace Hopper operating the UNIVAC. By Unknown (Smithsonian Institution) (Flickr: Grace Hopper and UNIVAC) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
The GHC
will look into the causes of lack of women participation, highlight the
contributions of women in computing, give personal and professional support to
starting a career in computing and provide a platform for like-minded women to
interact with each other and take up joint initiatives. The two-day conference
will have posters, presentations, workshops and panel discussions. The
presenters are chosen from a variety of backgrounds, including industrial,
academic and governmental communities.
The Grace
Hopper Conference is an annual event held in India and the US in memory of Rear
Admiral Grace Murray Hopper, who was a computer scientist and navy officer. People
of all nationalities are welcome to attend the conference. However, the
conference will deal mainly with issues relating to women and computing in
India. “To this end, each conference has a track that is specific to the needs
and challenges of students and new grads. These sessions offer a mix of advice,
personal stories, experiences and knowledge to give students a headstart in
planning their career paths, building networks and gaining life skills”, claims
Shruti, who is also a leading blogger.
The conference is expected to create a huge impact among women in Bangalore
and the rest of the country. The call for participation is now open, the details can be found here.