Women in tech: You are not alone. Let’s meet at Hopper Down Under. #Wearehere

There are plenty of female technologists in the Asia-Pacific region and we should shout their achievements from the rooftops to ensure they are recognised and to encourage the next generation of women to engage with technology!

I've always been optimistic about the positive impacts that new technology can bring. I come from a family of early adopters.  My mum was a university librarian who taught herself to code using Grace Hopper's Cobol programming language so she could automate university processes. 

We were one of the first families on our street to own a computer. While my early career was not in technology, I was fortunate to have access to it. My sister Andra Keay, the managing director of a U.S.-based robotics company, told me for many years that robotics was the way of the future and that I should get on board. 

At work with my colleague Erin McColl (left) next to a hexapod robot we are trialling for the DARPA Sub-T challenge

One of the first things I noticed when I transitioned to the industry five years ago was the lack of women. The longer I am in the tech industry, the more I observe the negative impact of technology when it is developed without a diverse team involved in the design.  

If more women do not enter the industry, we risk systemising the biases that hold women and minorities back. We also risk perpetuating the myth that women somehow choose not to participate in technology. The word “choice” is very loaded. I don't believe women ever chose to leave the computer industry.  After dominating the ranks of coders and human computers, they have been systematically excluded.  

Unfortunately, we are seeing a decrease in women participating in computer science and we lose those women who do graduate from the system at a faster rate than men. I have been motivated by the urgent need to address this situation before we alienate a whole generation of women from the very technologies that could be used to make their lives better.

I started thinking of ways that this could be addressed. I reached out to women in my sphere with engineering or computer science background, found quick support, and established a steering committee that is collaborating to bring the inaugural Hopper Down Under to the Asia Pacific.  Members of the steering committee include Sally-Ann Williams from Google, Jane Scowcroft from Data61 and Katrina Falkner from the University of Adelaide. 

Through the establishment of a local AnitaB.org community, we want to raise the profile of women in technology in the region to overcome the notion that they do not exist (or contribute), encourage young women to consider careers in tech, and give companies in the region the venue to showcase their diversity, equity, and inclusion credentials and a resource to recruit for diversity.

Being involved with Hopper Down Under and AnitaB.org is a way that you can help ensure that the technologies of the future are truly representative of the people and communities which they serve.  Please link to learn more about how you can get involved through participation as a sponsor, speaker, or attendee.

#wearehere is the first step in challenging the myth that there are no women in tech or that women somehow choose not to engage with technology. #wearehere is the rally call that will see the establishment of an AnitaB.org community in our region and an increased profile and recognition of the contributions women make to technology.

Hopper Down Under will support and inspire women technologists to further their careers, break boundaries, and transform the world of technology. Modelled after the AnitaB.org Grace Hopper Celebration, the two-day event will see technology leaders join together in support of inclusion of women in the sector.  The event brings together students, early- and mid-career women, and senior executives from leaders in industry, academia, and research. It provides attendees with the opportunity to build relationships, find new ideas 3wearehereand inspiration, learn new skills, and advance their careers in technology through panel discussions, hands-on workshops, and keynotes, led by inspiring women in the technology community within the Asia-Pacific. 

AnitaB.org is a global organisation founded on the belief that women with diverse backgrounds and identities bring vital perspectives and experiences to technical learning and innovation. They enable companies and academic research teams to serve broader community needs, solve more complex problems, and ultimately drive higher ROI. It works to advance the careers of women in computing, by connecting female technologists and creating partnerships with the world’s leading technology companies. Its Grace Hopper Celebration is the largest gathering of female technologists in the world, attracting more than 20,000 people annually.