[Chennaipy] Diversity in Chennaipy

[Shrayas rajagopal]

On Wed, May 13, 2015 at 1:56 PM, James Mortensen
<james.mortensen at synclio.com> wrote:

[...]

> I have a theory that encouragement can go a long way.  If you're a student,
> invite the women in your classes to attend Chennaipy.  If you work, invite
> women in your office.  If you have a sister or daughter, encourage her to go
> out into the world and make it her own.  Don't try to "protect" her with
> different rules or ideologies.  It's not protecting, it's restricting.

well said. +1

> With that said, I don't think a separate group would help; it would just
> make this problem worse.  This just perpetuates the idea that women need to
> be "protected".  For this to work, we need to create an environment of
> respect for everyone, tolerance, and the idea of personal responsibility for
> all of our actions.

While I very much agree with you James, I think that an org like
PyLadies helps with the initial hurdle of getting women into
technology. Usually, it is this part that is very important as it can
make or break an impression. PyLadies IMO is a great way to foster
that impression and help bring focus to the technology where it should
rightfully be.

The fact is that we *dont* have / aren't trying hard enough to create
the environment that you talk about. In an idealistic scenario that is
how it should be. But in reality it really isn't that way (as you have
remarked yourself). Reality expects, as Jacob said, you to be a
"great" programmer or it expects you to be "cut out for" technology.
PyLadies helps in that exact area. The focus on technology would give
confidence (or clarity) to face what reality holds.

I very much look up to all the women in tech. For them to have braced
all that the community throws at them and stand their ground is worth
much praise.