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I'm the only girl on my team this year, although we've had more girls in the past. I don't really think of myself as female any more than I think of my friends as male, as far as robotics is concerned. It's like being ridiculously tall or having curly hair or not liking pizza or being addicted to vitamin C: we're all unique. We identify ourselves with what we love - robotics - and not with physical differences. Our team size is 12. My role on the team is head of programming and electronics.
So aside from the classic electronics banter ("Hey you! Bring me a male!"), gender isn't a big issue on our team. I don't know if our female scarcity should be an issue. It'd be nice if there were more girls on our team. Then again, it'd be nice if there were more guys too, and more tall people, and more curly-haired people, and more C addicts, and everything else . . .
I have never experienced the "glass ceiling" from men. However, I have met prejudice from a surprising source: women. I was made rather angry at nationals last year when I, elbow deep in the electronics, was asked by a female judge if I had designed the team logo. Later that day another lady asked me if I had made the team hats. There is nothing wrong with making logos and hats, but none of the guys on my team were asked such questions. It was interesting because the people asking me these questions were all female. I have never had a male assume that I do non-technical stuff just because I'm a girl.
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