Hi SM,
On Wed 13/Nov/2013 08:52:41 +0100 SM wrote:
No, wait. I agree the gender issue is important, but fail to see why
it should be considered the first issue. It is not IETF-specific, as
we share this problem with many other organizations: Female quotes
Here are some (unverified) numbers about women in some well-known
companies in Country X:
A 9%
B 6%
C 6%
D 13%
E 10%
F 11%
G 3%
Beside countries and time, those figures seem to vary with company
revenue (from 16.6% of women on boards of US Fortune 1000 companies to
20.6% for Fortune 100 [1]), and sector (Canada Fortune 500 score 23%
in Finance&Insurance, down to 6% for Wholesale Trade [2]).
[1] http://www.2020wob.com/companies/2020-gender-diversity-index
[2]
http://www.boarddiversity.ca/sites/default/files/CBDC-Annual-Report-Card-2012-ENG.pdf
Here are some more (unverified) numbers in parts of the IETF:
A 0%
B 8%
C 6%
D 8%
E 12%
F 11%
G 11%
For a company, those figures vary with the recruiting methods. I
reckon the vast majority of key positions in the IETF is held by
people whose participation is supported by their employer. So, the
latter numbers reflect a marginal distribution. Since we are also
interested in the other dimensions of diversity (region, sector, age,
and more) we should consider how they condition one another, and what
are the resulting joint distributions.
You and I arrived to the IETF through quite unusual paths. A key
question is how everybody else happen to join in. In particular, how
do companies decide who of their employees participates in IETF
activities, if any.
It is not a matter of whether gender issue is important or whether it
should be the first issue. What matters is who will put in the effort.
There seems to be a correlation between the resulting numbers and
having a written diversity policy[2], but that doesn't imply causation
and IMHO both features might well be caused by common facts, such as
awareness and sensitization. Both commitment of the leadership and
structural measures are needed to increase diversity, according to [3].
[3]
http://ec.europa.eu/justice/gender-equality/files/gender_balance_decision_making/working_paper_engage_men_promote_women_en.pdf
Ale