When researching women who helped pave the way for other women to get involved in the technology industry, Anita Borg was the one that stood out most to me. Borg created several institutes and conferences to bring together technical women and to increase women representation in the field. Her goal was to have 50% representation for women in computing by 2020 and she dedicated her life to making sure it would happen.
One of the first steps Borg took in helping women in computing was by founding Systers in 1987. Systers was an email network that connected technical women together to recieve advice from one another. They also combated issues against negative representations of women in similar fields. For example, Mattel created a Barbie that said "Math class is tough", and Systers helped in getting Mattel to get rid of that phrase from Barbie's microchip. In addition to Systers, Borg helped found the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing in 1994. This is a conference aimed towards bringing together technical women. This helps with networking, collaborating on proposals and also mentoring. Then, in 1997 Borg founded the Institute for Women and Technology that had two goals. First was to increase the representation of women in technical fields and also to enable the creation of more technology by women. These accomplishments led Borg to win several awards which includes the Augusta Ada Lovelace Award and the 8th Annual Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment.
Knowing that Borg was helping women in the technology industry until her death really inspires me. It was something that she was passionate about and that she found very important. Knowing that there are people out there rooting for women to follow their passions despite their poor representation makes me want to continue pursuing my goals in this field. I think it is very important for women in higher positions to advocate for equality. These people are not required by any means to fight for certain causes just because of their position, but I believe that their voice is extremely helpful in bringing change. Anita Borg's life and accomplishments are inspiring and this is what makes her my FemTech Hero.
Resources Use:
New York Times
CNET
Picture Source:
Salon