It definitely does compute

Posted by Damana Madden, Geek Diva

[Last night, Google was happy to play host to Sydney's second "Geek Girls Dinner". It was a tremendous night for all the women (and men) involved, and we are very pleased to have Damana Madden, head of the Sydney Geek Girls community, as a guest today on our blog. To find out more about Damana and the Geek Girls, visit the Geek Girls homepage.]

If you listen to the ABS, in late 2006, only 16% of our IT industry was female, and now women are leaving at twice the rate of men. A fraction of those women who stay in IT are computer scientists or software engineers. We are all geek girls.

Over a decade has passed since I started studying computer science and math. Working as a female IT professional in contracts, start-ups and currently as a consultant software developer, has provided me with a range of experiences. I'm happy now to share these perspective with girls who have yet to claim their geekdom, those who are already involved in IT, and those who are looking to come back. The best part: there are many women like me, who also feel this way, and who have much to share with their fellow female geeks. That's why we gather officially every month to have a glass of bubbly, to listen to technical talks, and to connect with one another.

The greater Geek Girls community aims to support and enable women who want to be a part of the progressive and exciting world of IT - a world that is constantly changing, and where interesting and important challenges are emerging every day. There are many opportunities and resources available to women, but many either feel discouraged, or don't know where to turn. Bringing women in tech together, providing a forum to connect, to share, and often just to hang out, geek to geek, we empower one another, and become a mutual source of strength in the face of the everyday ups and downs that women in technology face.

I'm passionate about keeping women in IT, encouraging women to study computing, and helping those who have left to return when they want to. As Conway's Law says: "Any piece of software reflects the organisational structure that produced it". In other words: diversity is good for technology. Different people with different angles bring a new way of looking at the world and of solving problems. If companies want to produce technologies to be used by everyone, they can only benefit from a team whose diversity reflects their audience. I'm glad that Google and ThoughtWorks have committed to taking part in this important conversation, and - if you're a geek girl like me - look forward to talking with you as we continue to host dinners around Australia.