Equity refers to fairness or justice in the way people are treated, and especially freedom from bias or favoritism, as in “governed according to the principle of equity.” Equality refers to the quality or state of having the same rights and opportunities, as in “women’s struggle for equality.” Women are underrepresented in Informatics at all levels, from undergraduate and graduate studies to participation and leadership in academia and industry. The main aim and objective of EUGAIN is to improve gender balance in Informatics at all levels through the creation of a European network of colleagues working on the forefront of the efforts for gender balance in Informatics in their countries and research communities. Gender is most talked about in Sweden. There are other dimensions, so I open it up a bit because the most vulnerable population is in the intersectionality. We talk about recruitment and retention as well as various tools and practices to support this, and the big challenges on the way. I'm still learning on this path, and here I share what I have learned so far.

1. Equality and equity -
navigating the (gender)
imbalance in informatics
MDU, October 12th 2023
@twinkleflip
Birgit Penzenstadler
GU|Chalmers Univ. of Tech.
Lappeenranta Univ. of Tech.
birgitp@chalmers.se

2. Birgit Penzenstadler
Associate Prof, Software Engineering for Sustainability, GU/Chalmers, Sweden
Adjunct Prof, Lappeenranta Lahti University of Technology, Finland
Phd@TUM → UCI → LB State (& LUT) → Chalmers
Research:
Sustainability Design (www.sustainabilitydesign.org) since 2010
10 years RE4SuSy workshop series 2012-2021
Wellbeing & resilience studies (www.twinkleflip.com) since 2020
Education Projects:
SE4GD (https://se4gd.lutsoftware.com)
EUGAIN (https://eugain.eu)

3. Why I’m here today
To share my experiences on equality and equity in informatics
To pass on best DEIA* practices and tools of how to support it
To discuss all the uncomfortable questions that come up
*DEIA: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

4. Tool. Positionality statement.
Me: Born 1981, white woman of European descent.
German upbringing and ancestry.
Privileged in education, associate professor.
Software engineering, sustainability, wellbeing.
Lived on four continents, visited many countries.
Yoga teacher and embodied mindfulness coach.
Reviewer 2: This has no place in a research article.
Research is objective and measurable.
Me: Well… other disciplines (e.g. HCI) consider it important.
Let’s make it a standard in SE as well.

5. Equity versus equality
● Equity refers to fairness or justice in
the way people are treated, and
especially freedom from bias or
favoritism, as in “governed
according to the principle of equity.”
● Equality refers to the quality or
state of having the same rights and
opportunities, as in “women’s
struggle for equality.”
Source: “Addressing Imbalance,” by Tony Ruth for the 2019 Design in Tech Report.

6. ● I’m a woman (underrepresented
minority)
● I see disadvantages for the discipline
because of that (design for whom?)
● I see disadvantage in academia
(see "Picture a Scientist".)
● I see structural injustices that get
propagated by habit and obliviousness
● I want everyone to be and feel
supported
● Let’s develop Diversity, Equity, Inclusion,
and Accessibility (DEIA) Proficiency
Why I care… now more

7. Provide guidelines to address challenges
EUGAIN provides the academic community, policymakers, industry and other
stakeholders with recommendations and guidelines to address the following key
challenges:
(i) How to have more girls choosing Informatics as their higher education studies and
profession;
(ii) How to retain female students and assure they finish their studies and start
successful careers in the field;
(iii) How to encourage more female Ph.D. and postdoctoral researchers to remain in the
academic career and apply for professorships in Informatics departments;
(iv) How to support and inspire young women in their careers and help them to
overcome the main hurdles that prevent women to reach senior positions.

8. ● Recruitment: students, doctoral candidates, postdocs, faculty
● Retention: belonging, mentoring, work environment
● Role models: we are computer science (research)
● Research rocks: showing impact on humanity, or beauty of mathematics
Findings so far: 4Rs (oh, 5)

9. Recruitment
● Events
○ Summer camps
○ Design jams (f.k.a. hackathons)
● Advertisements (degree or job)
○ Flyers and brochures
○ Textual (https://gendermag.org/)
● Show range of options
○ Creative & versatile
○ Societal impact

10. ● Belonging: subjective feeling of inclusion or
acceptance into a group
○ Belonging: schedule regular support events,
sustainable for the faculty and the students
○ Womenx student group, e.g. fika with doctoral
candidates (monthly)
○ Take students to ACM womENcourage and
submit posters (Europe, scholarships), yearly
● Co-ownership: Agency & empowerment
● “Design for diversity” integrated in curriculum
○ slide to start with showing diversity in research
Retention: Engagement

11. ● Mentoring
○ One-on-one
○ Affinity groups
○ Topic-wise affinity groups
○ Reading group
○ Encourage students to start mentoring younger students
● Courses on leadership & communication
○ Develop the skills to help build their CV
○ Could take the form of a book club
○ Have them be applied in volunteer service,
research or team projects
Retention: Skills development

12. ● Work environment - how do you show diversity?
● Value exercise and mission statement
● Growth (“Mindset” by Carol Dweck) in messaging
● Connection: taking the time to check in
● Recognition: give awards, give positive feedback
Retention: Support

13. ● Let’s get a bit uncomfortable
● And talk about habits & obliviousness
● Events: minority members leave
● Patterns: microaggressions
● Structure: patriarchal heritage
● Mental models: ingrained biases
Retention: Work environment

14. What are “micro”aggressions?
● Term by psychiatry prof Chester M. Pierce
(Harvard) in ‘70s on observed everyday slights
to Afro Americans
● Often depend on context
○ Inappropriate setting: At a conference
“I’m not as attractive as the previous speaker…”
○ Inadequate in specific conversation: In class
“Wow, you speak English very well!”
○ Defensiveness: “I treat all people equal.”
[Vandana Singh, 2023]

15. Examples: One we can stomach; many… not.
● Gender stereotypes:
● “You think you’re cut out for that?” - boyfriend upon decision to study computer science.
● “Women are good at multitasking” and being asked to take meeting notes time and again - source
fairly.
● “Diversity”: “You’re the new hire? Yeah, they really wanted a woman.” - competitor who had applied for the
same position
● Inappropriateness & harassment
● “You look different from the picture on your website”. - student walking into office, or new contact on
Zoom.
● (Sexual or otherwise inappropriate) jokes:
i. Laughing about them despite discomfort → they think it’s ok,
ii. Complain and get asked to be “not so sensitive” because “it was a joke”.
→ That’s not taking responsibility, and getting defensive about “can’t make jokes” is refusing that
responsibility.
● Sexual harassment (verbal, physical, both). Again, context - at a conference, at work, absolutely not ok.
● Academia/industry stereotyping (e.g., at conferences or in student evaluations):
● put in the “ivory tower” as not knowing what matters in practice,
● being put “back to industry” where they “came from” when too much

16. Examples continued… it happens…
● Student doesn’t raise their hand before talking in discussion
● “Please stop hijacking the conversation.”
● Shut down
● Next day email… very unexpected interpretation.

17. Examples continued - any of those familiar?
● Power hierarchy:
● E.g. talking over students
● Taking up too much space
● Sneaky version
● “I don’t want to interrupt, but…” I just did.
● “but”s negate what came before
● Misgendering
● In email
● In class

18. “Sensitivity” is a superpower often judged
● Death by 1000 cuts
● Hidden trauma
● Accumulative damage
● Intersectionality
○ Gender
○ LGBTQIA+
○ Race
○ Age
○ Religion

19. Your examples: your turn :)
Where have you personally experienced microagressions?
When were you on the receiving end?
When did you maybe realize later you committed one?
https://www.menti.com/aln895e8z8ee

20. Why microagressions happen
● Obliviousness in combination with habit
● Intent is not the same as impact
● Desensitization after experiencing too many, or leaving

21. Consequences
● Intrusive cognitions
● Internal dilemmas
[Vandana Singh, 2023]

22. How to respond
Check
● If I respond, could my physical safety be in danger?
● If I respond, will the person become defensive, and will this lead to an argument?
● If I respond, how will this affect my relationship with this person (e.g., co-worker, family)
● If I don’t respond, will I regret not saying something?
● If I don’t respond, does that convey that I accept the behavior or statement?
Disarm
● Ask for clarification: What do you mean? How have you come you think that?
● Separate intent from impact: “I know you didn’t realize this. Here’s what happened: …”
● Share your own process (we are all learning)
● Other side: let down your defenses, apologize and more forward
Highly recommend to read this (re)source: https://mrnittle.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/microagressions-kevin-nadal.pdf

23. Reset.
Park this for now, digest later.
Shake. Like this.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/michellenault/3633473694

24. ● Diversifying the picture in class input, e.g.
research relevant to the topic by person
● Rich examples with diversity in assignments
● Showing diversity in public outreach, popular
science, and media, e.g. TED(x) talks
● Inviting diverse industry speakers:
engage alumni
Role models: we are informatics

25. ● Motivate by showing impact on humanity
○ Sustainable Development Goals
○ Local community improvement
○ (Swedish) Industry showcases
● Also attractive to many women: beauty of mathematics
○ Show application areas
○ AI and big data → plus the challenges (“The AI Dilemma” by Humane Center for Technology)
Research rocks: showing positive impact

27. Let’s discuss - what questions do you have?
https://www.menti.com/aln895e8z8ee
Special thanks for input:
Sonay Caner Yildirim, Vandana Singh, Francisco Gomes, Alexander Serebrenik
@twinkleflip
Birgit Penzenstadler
Chalmers Univ. of Tech.
Lappeenranta Univ. of Tech.
birgitp@chalmers.se

28. Resources
https://eugain.eu
"Picture a Scientist"
A guide to responding to microaggressions https://mrnittle.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/microagressions-kevin-nadal.pdf
Excellence in STEM with Dr. Francisco Gomes de Oliveira Neto
https://www.computer.org/publications/tech-news/insider-membership-news/excellence-in-stem-francisco-gomes-de-oliveira-neto
Further: https://www.computer.org/publications/tech-news/insider-membership-news/diversity-and-inclusion-2023
Brené Brown. Braving the Wilderness
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34565022-braving-the-wilderness
Bessel van der Kolk “The body keeps the score” https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18693771-the-body-keeps-the-score
Decolonial gender and development. Yvonne Underhill-Sem https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003017653-
60/decolonial-gender-development-yvonne-underhill-sem
Carol Dweck. Mindset
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40745.Mindset