“Technology” isn’t a four-letter word, but when it comes to “women’s issues” it might as well be. Technology has become a big business dominated by men; profits have become the priority over ethics and/or social implications. Women are missing from the tech design room to the boardroom and this diminishes the value and unique talents that women bring to the table. We can no longer accept this as a normal expectation. The marketing tactics of technology manufacturers have only just begun to include women in their advertising.

Today, it’s commonly acceptable to email a resume, fill out an online job or graduate school application, or find “Mr. or Mrs. Right” through Match.com. However, when it comes to women’s issues, technology is traditionally not included as a place to advocate or mobilize.

Violence against women has manifested itself as harassment and/or cyberbullying. The “Grand Theft Auto” video game, which awards points for beating up a certain class of women to get the user’s money back, has been a recent “hot” topic. There are plenty of government agencies working to get the “Grand Theft Auto” game off the shelves or properly label it as mature content, but not many encouraging educational reform for girls in science, math, technology, or gaming. If there were more girls involved in game design, this product might not have gone on the shelf with violence against women packed into the game’s scoring system. Women are one of the biggest buyers of video games for their children, but they never check for games for their daughters. Most are completely unaware that game consoles like the Xbox were designed without the intention of having options for women or girls.

The gaming industry is not the enemy; games can be great learning tools if used correctly. There are more and more software games designed for schools and educational purposes. Socialimpactgames.com focuses on games for public policy, health, wellness, business, and social issues. Whether there is a game that promotes anti-Bush agendas or ethnic cleansing, women must participate.

Government officials have introduced a bill to address electronic bullying in Washington DC, although it has included bullying by computers, email, telephones and cell phones, it does not include video and audio recordings or global positioning systems (GPS ) used by stalkers. to track down their victims. There have been recent attempts with the Video Voyeurism Act, but significant women’s issues are missing from these worthwhile attempts to address the problem.

Public health and safety have important social implications. There are e-government initiatives under the 2002 Act that will affect the lives of many women, however, the Congressional Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations, and the Census no longer exists. “Egov” is new parlance for initiatives that include the Department of Justice’s plans for information exchange technology that include development and implementation. This is also where jurors now analyze and review investigative data through laptops and other technology. Funds for video devices are used to catch criminals, such as red-light and speeding violators, or security cameras at traffic lights, but funds are not available for initiatives that use interactive video conferencing technology to create and maintain family ties between incarcerated mothers and their children or to provide other necessary family services.

There are several bills/acts in Congress that are on the books regarding healthcare and information technology. Many are designed to improve the efficiency and quality of health care delivery by streamlining medical records, preventing medication errors, providing online access to information about infectious disease outbreaks, or simply helping single mothers. to get their children vaccinated for school, as the DC government did by implementing the Internet-based immunization registry. Telemedicine has been used to help women by providing antenatal care in rural areas. A recent bill to address digital divide issues in rural areas will affect the continuation of the telemedicine program for those mothers.

The social impacts of technology are both positive and negative and are traditionally seen in non-traditional areas of work, job readiness, and education. Rarely are the areas of health, environment, public safety, or cybersecurity considered major concerns for women in relation to science and technology. Lack of tech skills is already one of the reasons so many low-income women can’t find jobs above basic wages. If this is not addressed, the lack of technological skills will leave a larger underemployed working class, as studies have shown that in 2008 there will be more than 1.3 million new technology workers and by 2010, 65% of the economy. It will be based on technology.

Before fourth grade, studies show that girls are more interested in technology than boys. After that, the adults in their lives discourage the girls and are constantly challenged by the boys in their class, making them question whether they should even bother with math, science, or technology. Teenage girls are heavily pressured to be “pretty” rather than “smart,” creating the current conflict for young women interested in math, science, or technology. Tech “geeks” are rarely considered cute or attractive. It is also at this time that young women choose not to play sports, but we have the WNBA, women’s soccer, tennis and golf.

Without better awareness and promotion, women will also be likely to miss out on the benefits that science and technology bring and will be vulnerable to the dangers of technological ignorance. We will continue to be unprepared to advocate for or against decisions made in business and government laws or regulations. Women and girls should be equally educated, encouraged and given opportunities in science and technology. If they are not, the women of tomorrow will not be able to function properly in our technologically changing society.

We need to challenge all women, especially women-led organizations, women philanthropists, and area women’s funding foundations. Let’s broaden the gender perspective to include non-traditional women’s issues, our future depends on it.

For more information contact Shireen Mitchell
Email [email protected] ~ Website: www.digital-sistas.org