There was an interesting article yesterday in the New York Times about the gender divide in the crypto world and it's got me thinking.
Apparently the same discrepancies that exist in the developer/digital world are mirrored in the blockchain realm and maybe even more so.
My point of view is that this mostly stems from issues as deep seated as the 1000s of years of socialization that's embedded in all of us to one degree or another. And at the very least women are encouraged less often and sometimes even discouraged from pursuing math, science and tech. But unfortunately there's more to it since there are some - both men and women - who are still resistant to noticing the problem and to making any changes to the status quo. BUT - and this is a big but - at this point in time, the male dominated crypto world can take steps that would make a difference and the good news is that it’s easy!
Below are a few examples from the article of the kind of blatant disrespect that keeps the gender divide alive and would be easy to remedy.
The gender imbalance was also on display at last month’s North American Bitcoin Conference in Miami, which was organized by a prominent investor, Moe Levin. Mr. Levin originally slated 86 men and one woman as speakers. After complaints, he replaced two of the men with women to achieve what he thought should be enough: 84 men onstage and three women.
Really, is it so hard to find any other competent female speakers?
The year before, the conference’s kickoff party featured underwear-clad models — painted gold and covered in Bitcoin logos.
And it’s a no-brainer to choose to be respectful rather than to continue the 5000 year trend of objectifying women - which undermines them - for the entertainment of men. I'll note that this entertainment would have had a completely different tone if there were both men and women featured in this sparkly parade!
“Moe does something just as sexist every year,” said Rose Chan, who founded the World Bank’s blockchain working group and now runs her own cryptocurrency project. “He switches it up, which actually means that he thinks about it.”
Such a blatant lack of consideration makes my heart sink and my stomach turn:
“North American Bitcoin Conference in January, which highlighted 84 male speakers and three women, the official conference party was held at a Miami strip club.”
On a more personal note, one of my first thoughts when reading this article is how lucky I am to have been brought on to Steemit so early on when I now see how unlikely this was as a women and one who wasn't interested in the digital world. And how grateful I am for all of the truly generous and inclusive men I know here on steemit! So many have helped me feel less intimidated with the digital world and done so with great generosity.
Here I am 20 months later, a mostly empowered trader who can speak intelligently about the blockchain and its implications and even teach novices how to navigate the system and approach trading.
I want to give a call out to a few of these Mensch in particular:
@world-travel-pro who has tirelessly answered my endless questions about finances and money management.
@nickh725 who has given me so much helpful advice about how to assess a coin and an ICO and how to decide whether to invest or not.
@steemed who spent literally hours walking me through getting my SBD from my Steemit wallet to USDollars in my bank account and has offered solid unwavering support for my work.
And these men never once succumbed to making feel less because of what I didn't know. Not even for one single moment. They were kind, clear, and helpful.
I also want to acknowledge people like @ericvancewalton @bluelightbandit @voronoi @hansikhouse @cryptogee @macksby @paolobeneforti who I’ve witnessed specifically speaking up in respect and in support of women. The truth is that it takes very little to offer support and to treat someone with regard but it can make a huge difference!
I know many men and women who jump at the chance to help others and who understand that when we give each otehr a hand, we all rise.
And thankfully these people are out in the world moving and shaking as well:
”Some crypto leaders are now organizing events, clubs and conferences to attract women to the industry. Ms. Bonatsos spoke at one such event this month in San Francisco. And Jalak Jobanputra, founder of the start-up investment firm Future Perfect Ventures, and other blockchain developers gathered in New York this month to discuss the issue. They later announced that they would form a blockchain diversity advocacy group called the Collective Future and create a diversity pledge for crypto companies to sign as a show of commitment.”
I want to reach out to you - men on steemit, women on steemit, there’s much we can do to change this unnecessary power differential and it takes so little.
“We have an opportunity to rebuild the financial systems,” Ms. Morin said. “Women want to be part of that.”
Keep in mind that if you don’t see enough women, it's not because we don't want to be involved. Whenever and wherever you can take those little steps and make thoughtful choices. It means that when you have a project for which you want to gather a group, consider whether a woman or 2 you know might also be a good candidate. It means that when you choose a venue, entertainment, the ways you reach out to invite people, do so with respect and with an eye on inclusivity.
Thank you for supporting my blog which is mostly about art, ceramics and the goings-on in my studio and at times I also delve into the nature of being human.
I really liked the points you brought up here Ruth! There are several females pulling to the front of the blockchain sector now. Naomi Brockwell (@skycorridors) is one of them. I see a new equality coming to this sector with so many smart women entering the space.
thanks for your support as well as naming Naomi @ericvancewalton, we can all keep our eye on her! and yes I agree, things are and will change!
As you already know, I love the article - well, the way you write is always cool anyway.
I don't wanna get into gender issues though [I'm done with my Master's, no more gender studies please ahahaha!!!], but to comment a little bit... a. I do believe there weren't any female speakers...I mean, it's possible.
But b. ..... 'official conference' party at a strip club? Lame... [and shame - it rhymes too :P ]
Oh @voronoi... the questions he heard.... ahahaha !! But not about crypto, mostly about @sndbox, specifically!
My only guide in all related matters for 9 months now is @creutzy - I give him that ;)
There ARE far less women in the digital world no doubt and that in itself isn't a problem, what IS a problem is that the organizing committee had to be reminded to include women AND they did find some so clearly there were women who could have been invited from the beginning and I'm guessing there were probably a few more too that still weren't included.
I too often speak to the 2 closest men in my life to run issues of gender by them and get their take. We all learn so much from each other!
I am very interested in this issue as well and I share your experience so far of feeling supported and welcomed in a very generous way but men here at Steemit . I am experiencing a lot of unlearning because in my real life world , any time I have gotten into vocal or leadership positions of any kind I get shot down and lots of challenges thrown my way by others, even when my skills match that of the men in the same role. I am very conditioned to feel guarded and careful about stepping up for this reason. But each time I have tried to share my voice here, men and women alike have been supportive. When I have felt unsure or confused, plenty of men have let me know they believe in me here. it is not perfect here at Steemit because sometimes I have heard of some forms of exclusionary behavior but it is a lot better.
I really like what you chose to do with this post. I like that you highlighted men who treated you with equality and respect , and shared a little but how they did so and how it helped you. I think that is a helpful way to keep that kind of respect flowing.
Hello @dflo, thanks for your honest comment here, I really appreciate it! I really understand and I think so many of us have had similar difficult experiences -
I'm sorry this has happened to you and to all of us! All the ways we are made to feel less valued add up a lot and can be very difficult to overcome.
I agree that steemit can be and often is incredibly supportive but also echo your thoughts that there is definitely lots and lots of room for improvement here!! There is some pretty awful crap too.
I hope that you continue to have good experiences and that more unlearning happens :-), you can count on my honest support!
I really liked the strong women of the early tech industry portrayed in AMC’s Halt and Catch Fire and the narrative about the company Donna and Cameron built together.
You just run against the walls of sexism and being excluded for no reason except your gender, so often, that you can't see anymore, why you were working in this field in the first place.
You loose the joy and this feeling of achievement never arrives in your brain.
In film we also have the same horrible situation about investment. Last year there was NO film funded by the German National Film Fund that is directed by a woman. It's such an endless cycle.
Furthermore, there is this illusion of progess (and I believe this is also very true for the Crypto-World) - the illusion of things becoming better / that we are on the road to more equality. But this is simply FALSE. At least in tech and film.
@elenahornfilm
I'm so sorry to hear this @elenahornfilm and yet completely am not surprised because as you say, we've all experienced it and are so tired of it!!
On a more hopeful note I will say that as a creative here on steemit, you CAN fun your projects and I would love to see you be able to! I know a film is a giant undertaking needing a giant budget but miracles have happened! I will look at your blog to see if you have any trailers or examples of your filmmaking.
It makes me angry to hear that the female characters in this crop of German movies will likely be written by men and inevitably directed by them. :(
This is such a big part of the problem: men are in charge of the narrative about women and female directors have to compromise so much to get movies done that their voices end up distorted.
I don't know what to say right now but you are exceptional for saying this out loud @nature of being.
Most witnesses are men, the top whales are men and the more reason is that even though we know what women are already disenfranchised, most times when there's any role to fill, they look down on the woman because of Gender Discrimination.
This has to change, the disenfranchised/victimized people have to be affirmative action.
ProudlyFeminist
Hi @seunnla , you're absolutely right! Glad I found you here on this article of @natureofbeing . Following you now!
xx
@elenahornfilm , a fellow proud feminist
It really is time for change isn't it! I know that things are slowly shifting but we're all ready for a daily life in which we aren't faced with being undervalued and disrespected. Thanks for your comment!
Thanks for this post, I have never thought about the gender divide in Crypto world, but it was interesting to learn it. In my opinion I believe that if there are good specialist no matter what gender they have to be promoted especially when it reflects the intelligence and does not require man's power like fire fighter, policemen and for example military, where I would say it is heavy job for female and I would prefer to see male. But I am glad to know that you have had so much support and I do think we need to encourage both gender but in general we have to encourage our young generation and to support them, ado you agree with me?
yes I agree!
I think that jobs don't have to be equally filled by both genders and I also value the differences in men and women and don't expect us all to be the same. BUT we need to have equal consideration and value in our society professionally and socially! And the problem is that we have thousands of years of living in a patriarchal society that inherently values women a lot less. Yes things are getting better by many measures but both women and men have to team up to create equal opportunity and not to specifically demean nor exclude either sex from any field. It's going to take a long time to undo our internalized sexism as a society and in the meantime making sure that these kinds of mistakes mentioned in the article don't happen is very important. Thanks for your comment and support @stef1!
I think this is such a fabulous article. The gender gap on steemit is real---and pretty obvious when checking the whale accounts. I’ve found incredibly supportive men + women who are helping to even the playing field, tho, for sure.
After a month on steemit with no real crypto-knowledge, I’m definitely looking to gain more and absorbing info like a sponge. It’s awesome to know that there are women like you out here making profits and doing it successfully!
The feeling is mutual @lilyraabe!!
I would like to say as a male I am proud to have brought over a couple of ladies from YouTube that have turned into awesome Steemers. They are finding their way here and if anyone would like to check out their work: @debralee is a sweet soul that writes very touching posts. Also @prydefoltz is an awesome poet with a great sense of humor.
That's awesome @old-guy-photos and thanks for listing them so we can take a look! Thanks for your support, it means a lot :-)
I didn't want it to seem spammy, but I thought someone may be interested.
BTW I don't know if you use Ginabot, but it works well, is free, and just notified me that you mentioned me :)
You read my mind!! Seriously I've been thinking all week that I need to ask someone how to find out when I'm tagged. Amazing, I love when that happens. Thanks so much I'll look into it and as long as I don't have to give up my key I'll use it.
Very cool! I love when that happens lol.
No keys needed! Here is a very plain and easy step by step guide. You can easily customize Ginabot to work just as you need. If you need any help, feel free to ask me coz I just set mine up a couple of days ago.
https://steemit.com/ginabot/@themarkymark/ginabot-the-secret-to-your-sanity-on-steemit
Yay, I'm so grateful, THANK YOU!!!
As a male ally to feminism, I can say I am constantly frustrated by the lack of effort for gender representation. Fortunately steemit is awakening lots of smart women to the blockchain and this in turn is building a critical mass of crypto investors who may favor cryptocurrency with women on their teams. I mean I know this is just one drop in the bucket and that women don’t need Steemit to look into cryptos. Nonetheless, women who may have been drawn here to share about any topic like history, find themselves empowered on this platform. I love the collection of comments you have gathered with your article, I can feel the winds of change coming.
Thank you for being an ally @edouard and for your beautifully written comment and clear thinking! And so true that steemit isn't the only access point but is a particularly good one for women and anyone interested in just about anything!
ps. I too love the collection of comments here!
One horrible thing about patriarchy is how it has disempowered so many of us minorities and as a result, we are reluctant to take our finances into our own hands. For women, this is taken to an entirely different level which is why a community of empowered women can be such an incredible agent of change.
@natureofbeing thanks for this post. Very true..
Women have to decide not to take the back seat anymore. It's time to stand up and be strong.
For too long, women have been sidelined and made to believe that their place is behind a man especially in places like Africa.....
But now, women have to stand up and be heard...
Well stated, you are so right!
Thanks for your support, together this and more WILL change!
I agree with you. If you want women can accomplish everything. Finance, stock exchange, money market, art, education ... everything can happen. no distinction between a woman and a man is wrong. it's just a choice.
I agree, well said, thanks for your support @banum!
Hello @natureofbeing
You are right in your arguments here. The gender disparity exhibited by the organizers of the just concluded North American conference is phenomenal!
I think it is women that should stand up and fight against this injustice, this neglect! They should take the front rolls in this activism. I will certainly make out time to write a post in support of this..
@eurogee, the founder of @euronation community
Thank you so much @eurogee for your well stated support and I look forward to your post!
Sure ma'am
If you know of any knowledgeable women sharing their insight on crypto on YouTube please let me know. I watch 4 youtubers, all of them are men. I have no problem watching a woman but I’ve only actually seen two and they weren’t very helpful in comparison. Go out and speak more and be the change, it sounds like you can!
Great point @whatamidoing, and I don't watch crypto on youtube but will start asking around and keeping my eyes open for women - and will share any finds with you!
I came across @kellug the other day, and she may be a source of some good articles since her passion is tech, here is her intro post:
https://steemit.com/life/@kellug/from-studying-law-to-co-founding-a-blockchain-startup
Thanks, I will check her out!
Change is definitely coming Ruth. With amazing women like yourself in Steemit and the growing number of women involved in other blockchain projects, we might live to see the distribution even out in this generation.
You are right about the history too, both the financial and technology sectors were dominated by men for such a long time. Many of us (men) admire your work, and what we do in this space can very well be furthered by beautiful minds like yours.
What a magnificent comment @steemitph, you are always so generous and supportive, thank you for being the good person you are! Your words here and the fact that you genuinely walk your talk mean the world to me!
Yes! An important piece you've written here @natureofbeing <3
Things were supposed to change with the 'new era'. Where professions like doctors / lawyers were always dominated by men because of our male-dominated history, tech should have been the first industry that was built from the ground up, with no real reason to assume 'men' where the ones to fill these jobs, and therefore should become more or less a meritocracy. It didn't happen, and that's really unfortunate :-)
We all become stronger, more inclusive, and happier in the end if we can work together instead of one group pushing the other away.
Let's all try to prove on Steemit and in crypto we can have an equal society ;-)
you are right @soyrosa, and while the "new era" did bring change, we still have a lot of distance to go,
And YES, cheers to this!!
this post was very need in steemit,thank you for post.
Can you expand on this a little bit? What power differential? All the NYT article shows is that there are more men in crypto than women. Some people are jerks. And that a woman feels lonely in the crypto world (I'd bet there are a lot of male nurses that can empathise with her).
Your article includes anecdotes about how you were welcomed and helped when you got into crypto (you got way more help than I ever did, males in crypto only told me to "learn to google").
So what, exactly, is wrong with the crypto world that needs to be changed? Are you implying that because crypto has more men than women in it, something evil is going on? Is something evil going on in the nursing industry that's over 90% female, with most, if not all, conferences absolutely dominated by female speakers?
Why don't you talk about instances where women were interested in crypto but got shut out or treated unfairly? Those are things that we can fix. Or do those instances not exist? Maybe, like yourself, most women that are getting into crypto are being welcomed and helped by men and women alike.
Please help me understand what you mean by "unnecessary power differential". The NYT article provided no evidence that it exists, and your anecdotes sort of prove that it doesn't exist or that it's geared to benefit women.
Hi @fronttowardenemy thanks for your comment and I'm sorry for the super slow response, I'm about 2 days behind this week!
I really don't think that every field needs to be equally populated by equal amounts of men and women, not at all. But given that we have a few thousand years of patriarchy behind us and that during 80% of those years most professions were closed to women, women were legally and socially the property of men, valued at half or even less of what a man was, I think that making a small effort to be sure women are included and not specifically excluded isn't a lot to ask. And holding a professional conference that supposedly is welcoming to women at a strip club is pathetic and clearly the organizers just didn't even think that the women who might attend were worth their consideration. With male nurses at a conference with 90% women, was the entertainment a group of hot male underwear models on stage to turn on the women? Plus given patriarchy, this comparison of men entering a traditionally women's field is apples and oranges for so many reasons, one being that many women became nurses 30 years ago because they were excluded from becoming doctors. (If you need an example of this I have relevant ones!)
In a patriarchy, there IS an inherent power differential and again, we aren't totally free of this by any stretch. Just because many fields are open to women on paper doesn't mean that women can't be discouraged from taking part through the still crappy socialization we've all had, through the actions such as the examples given in the article about the poor choices made by the conference organizers.
A sideline worth mentioning is that a women's group here on steemit that I'm involved with makes special efforts constantly to be sure that nothing is said nor done to alienate or offend the men who have joined the discord channel and to make sure they feel invited. There have been repeated conversations among the women on this subject and it is addressed with every impactful decision. It's really not hard to do and we all need to do this for each other, men and women both.
And yes, sexism DOES hurt both sexes, not just the oppressed, I believe this whole heartedly and the more that people realize that when we give each other a hand personally and collectively, we all benefit and the quicker things will improve for both men and women!
Yes this is a giant subject, it would be great to ask this question to the steemit community and to hear women's experiences!
Regarding the help I've had, yes I'm lucky as shit that I had some support and that I still have people I can reach out to and ask questions. I too had to google everything and was absolutely utterly clueless and had to muddle my way through the first few weeks when I joined except when it came to actually exchanging SBD to USD on the exchange. That was where I got help. But I'm only sorry that you weren't helped when you asked because I know that the men who helped me would certainly have helped you too! They are those kinds of people.
We are all figuring out how to be humans in our changing times and aren't always going to get it right, but it's important that we're trying and talking. I'm trying to learn how to express my ideas on what feels like an overwhelming and deeply emotional subject within me and I recognize that my post is VERY incomplete, but I'm trying. Thanks for your conversation and I hope that my responses make sense and don't offend!
I agree with this 100%. I think the biggest problem is figuring out if the lower female representation is the result of exclusion versus lower interest by females. I don't know if you've tried to get other women interested in crypto, but if they're anything like my male friends, their eyes likely glaze over with disinterest or you get "Ponzi scheme" comments. Crypto is difficult to get people interested in, male or female. Add monetary risk, nerdy computer stuff, and very little social interaction (outside of Steemit) and it's not surprising to me that more males would dedicate their free time to educate themselves about this topic than females would.
Holding part of a conference at a strip club was stupid, and would have still been stupid if 100% of the attendees were men. Lots of men don't like strip clubs either. To me, it sounds like some crypto-rich kids wanted to play "Wolf of Wall Street" at their conference. It seems unlikely that future conferences will be held in strip clubs (unless they're adult entertainment related conferences), and that's fine with me.
Possibly, but I think you're giving our socialization more credit than it deserves. Our interests are also influenced by our biology, and I believe that we ignore our biological directives at our own peril. It would be a shame to influence and pressure girls away from their true interests for the sake of fighting the patriarchy or for "girl power". If a girl's primary interest is motherhood and a stable partner, she shouldn't be shamed or excluded by other women who would rather work. Similarly, if she's interested in robotics or the blockchain, she shouldn't be shamed or excluded by the people in those fields.
I think you're doing a good job at it. I appreciate the opportunity to discuss this. It's helping me to look deeper into the issues and try to figure out what makes the most sense to me.
Some good thinking here @fronttowardenemy and I appreciate you taking the time to have the discussion here!! I've been thinking about what you've said here in the back of my mind over the last day or so and agree that the subject of biology is important to consider.
You may be right that it plays larger role than I'm giving it credit for but a few things that have come up in my process of thinking about this -
I do solidly believe that even in an equal society - and I use the word equal not to mean sameness, but to refer to a context where all members of the society are believed to have equal value and are treated as such including having equal access - there will definitely not be the same amounts of women and men in every field or perhaps any field! Yes we ARE different in important and wonderful ways.
But while women collectively may rarely choose a job involving heavy lifting on a daily basis, some individual women (or men) might want to and shouldn't be shut out from the career either overtly nor covertly. And when we're talking about something like tech, it's pretty unclear how many women would actually be in the field if they weren't socialized not to be. Take me for instance, I'm truly the least likely person to find myself in the position of being interested in crypto! And I'll probably never be interested in programming, but here I am because the opportunity came up and I decided to overcome my squeamishness for the things I had to learn partially because I knew my friend (a woman) could do it so I kept telling myself that I could too, so I didn't believe my internal doubt-dialogue. Plus I didn't encounter any specific discouragement. But what about the women who do encounter discouragement in tiny or obvious ways - it's easy to discourage someone who is already socialized not to do something! Those really small roadblocks combined with socialization could mean that she just doesn't pursue it.
You're right that women and men both glaze over when it comes to crypto but the subtle and overt sexism out there combined with socialization can't help but to have an effect on how many women are in crypto. Perhaps there will never be 50-50, but what about 70-30 or something. I know lots of women interested in math and science now that those fields are far more open to women.
A few weeks ago I met up with my brilliant physicist roommate from college I hadn't seen in 25 years and learned that she had been discouraged by a male guidance counselor from pursuing physics specifically because she couldn't be a good mother and hold that career. And that was the straw that broke the camel's back for her. Yes she had been encouraged by others but the combined resistance just made her give in and choose a different path. Yes that's only one example and I'm sure there are 10 others who were encouraged by their male guidance counselors, but until this kind of story becomes so rare we never even hear about it, I'm just not convinced that biology is the biggest factor at work when it comes to the gender imbalance in the crypto world.
I guess the two issues I keep returning to are
Ok that was a LONG stream of consciousness....hope i'm not going on and on. Again, thanks for caring enough about this topic to even comment, read, disagree, respond etc.... it's exactly what gives me hope :-))
what gender has to do in this matter? I have big question myself.
the above statement should be understood by all.
Great post! The article you shared yesterday really bothered me. After the Steem Queens radio show last week, I was under the impression that gender divide wasn't an issue, however although it may not be so bad on Steemit, it obviously is still a problem with crypto/blockchain in general. I wonder if more research will be done with this. I think with groups like #steemsugars and #teamgirlpowa, we have a way of connecting with each other and not feeling so alone in a male dominated world. Love this, thank you :)
thank you @beautfiulbullies, I really appreciate your supportive comment. I too was really bothered by the article. I agree that we (some of us) are really lucky because we have an amazing bunch of male and female friends and supporters around us, but even here on steemit the differences in the numbers of men to women is pretty big. Not sure how exlusionary steemit is, but I know it has its goods and not so goods and there is DEFINITELY LOTS of room to grow!
Amazing that the steemqueens radio show would indicate that the gender divide isn't an issue. Really not true from just about every other source who addresses the subject! We can change ourselves and support others....bit by bit things will shift, they already are!
I like your writing very much. and I agree with your thoughts.
and finally Women's crypto initiative will increase professionalism in this developing world. My faith is in this direction ... and the whole world will notice it :)
Thank you @artizm, I am excited about the iniatives to bring women into crypto that are actually taking steps...very exciting!
Aww what a heartfelt post. I agree with you. There are things we bring to the table that shouldn't be ignored. Thanks for this post. I had no idea. :). Joy
Thank you @sweetjoy, I didn't realize how big the divide is either!
What about the campaign adopt a girl...where the whales adopt a girl and train her online about the crypto world and how to be in a leadership position. Idk. I'll keep thinking. Lol. Joy
So many strong women on Steemit! And it is great to be a part of this community with you.
Agreed, I'm inspired everyday by them! And Yes, so great to know you here....looking forward to making it to Steemfest this year and meeting you in person.
Me too :D
Yes. Yes, it is that hard.
And no, we will never see a parity of men and women in this field.
It is not that women aren't welcome, it is that it is rare for a woman to be in any one of these fields. Even rarer if they are in all four.
For the record, a woman is one of the lead programmers who create one of the most used pieces of cryptology software that everyone uses. She and a handful of others (her partner, was one, and he committed suicide) are the force behind the 's' in https.
There is no barrier to entry for a woman in this field.
It is wide open. It is open source.
In fact, many of the great programmers are only known by the on-line moniker.
So, it appears that the New York Crimes is trying to get people to avoid looking into crypto-currencies by calling it sexist.
Well, it has worked many other times.
Their current favorite is CEO positions.
But, they never talk about coal miners, rough riders, high power transmission line jocks, fisherman, farmers and construction workers.
Again, there is nothing keeping women out (accept their own competence or incompetence), it is just that women aren't attracted to these jobs.