Discussion on All-Girl events

[smitikshah]

If you want to fix something - do it.

As some statistics have pointed out (that were posted on the thread), most well paying engineering jobs are taken by males. As a woman I reflect upon my experiences and realize I didn't want to do a lot of things because the predominant male influence in the field. Just take an example of say Petroleum Engineering. I don't want to do it because I don't feel comfortable in the field with males unintentional bias against me (they aren't wrong for doing it - it's unintentional after all). Because of that I don't train to be a Petroleum Engineer. I could have been a great Petroleum Engineer that really could have changed the industry. But I refused to because of a culture that didn't harbor an environment for my learning and flourishing. So someone comes along and starts an initiate. "Females in Petroleum Engineering". It helps by fostering an environment I'd want to work in. The reason "Males in Petroleum Engineering" isn't an initiative is because the environment currently supports them in working. Why are you stopping potential females Petroleum Engineers from entering a field when you can fix a easily recognizable problem (unintentional bias)? So by saying "This one guy doesn't feel welcome as opposed to these 50 girls - we should forget about helping the 50 girls optimally". We can combine them but time and resources are an issue. So here is an idea: If you find that there is a problem with promoting Males in a certain field that you would like to see more males in, or if you think Males should also be pushed in FRC - then take your own initiatives to do so! Instead of complaining about how this event, that so many people put so much hard work, time, effort, and emotional costs into is worthless because it doesn't promote real equality - then make your own male counterpart event! In my opinion, people shouldn't so ruthlessly discredit so much work without proposing a realistic and serious alternative.

I'll end with a logic exercise that I used to do in elementary school.

Example.)

Major Premise: All humans breathe air.
Minor Premise: I breathe air.
Conclusion: I am a human.
Sound Logic.

Application:

Major Premise: All genders should be promoted in STEM.
Minor Premise: Females are a gender.
Conclusion: Females should be promoted in STEM.
Sound Logic.

Notice nowhere does this say males should not be promoted in STEM. Males should be promoted but this event is about promoting females. Nobody is trying to exchange promoting women in STEM for males in STEM.

Sorry about the rambling some posts on this thread really made me want to rant.