Why is it that not many girls are into robotics?

[busterblade16]

I am serious about this. Why dont they?

[JakeGallagher]

I know plenty of girls in robotics...Sure, there aren't nearly enough, but there are a lot. Maybe it's because for the longest time engineering (like many other fields) has been seen as one that girls aren't supposed to be in. Lately, however, that is being changed and more and more girls are joining
Give it time, I'm sure plenty of girls will be in FIRST sooner or later, it just needs to catch on.

[IanT]

Originally Posted by JakeGallagher

I know plenty of girls in robotics...Sure, there aren't nearly enough, but there are a lot. Maybe it's because for the longest time engineering (like many other fields) has been seen as one that girls aren't supposed to be in. Lately, however, that is being changed and more and more girls are joining
Give it time, I'm sure plenty of girls will be in FIRST sooner or later, it just needs to catch on.

Have to agree with you not many girls find engineering as a field that they might be interested in. look at it though it seems that as the years go by more and more girls are starting to join FIRST

[busterblade16]

ok. that really needs to change...

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by busterblade16

I am serious about this. Why dont they?

It's because for many years girls were conditoned not to seek work that was deemed only for men and many still think that way. That's what FIRST is for to encourage people who do not traditionally seekto participate in robotics to join up and realize that it's for everybody.

[Conor Ryan]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

It's because for many years girls were conditoned not to seek work that was deemed only for men and many still think that way. That's what FIRST is for to encourage people who do not traditionally seekto participate in robotics to join up and realize that it's for everybody.

this is also why women such as Carly Fiorina, the ex CEO and Chairwomen of HP, and the only woman ever to head up a Dow Jones Listed company are such popular speakers and role models to women entering the business and hopefully the engineering world. But yeah, its a stereotype that has carried over from thousands of years of women being oppressed.

[Winged Wonder]

i've gotta agree with everything everyone before me has said.

thats why we've got the Robotics Chicks Union (RCU), in order to promote more women being involved with FIRST robotics.

every year i try to get more and more of my girl friends to join robotics, simply because its so much fun and i love it to death. there is so much FIRST teaches everyone--not just girls or minorities or majorities or whoever--and people shouldnt be left out just because of previous steryotypes.

but all in all... yeah, this sport is dominated by waaaaaay tooo many guys... we girls need to change that

[Goobergunch]

If you're interested: RCU Website

[Amanda N.]

Well.. as several other people mentioned, it's mostly the stereotype issue. I think a lot of it has to do with how girls in our generation grew up. Just about all of my girl friends grew up as "girly-girls" playing with Barbies because that's what people expected them to play with. Meanwhile, most boys played with Legos and trucks. A majority of these girls stick with the girly stereotype; only with a lot of encouragement and a bit of instruction do they break out of that shell and get involved in something like robotics

I think the other reason for the small amount of female FIRSTers is that they usually feel overshadowed.. because we usually grow up as "girly-girl"s, most of us don't have much experience and don't have the confidence to step in and ask for help.. especially when one of our male classmates is standing there acting like they know everything and you're stupid for not knowing it.. (high school and jr. high guys act like they know wayyyy more than they do )


anywhooo.. I didn't really mean to make my post so long, I just got started and couldn't stop.. Hopefully more girls will discover the joys of robotics and learn to jump in and get involved!!

[Wayne Doenges]

Our second FIRST year we had three girls. One of them was an exchange student from Italy who knew her way around a shop better than any of the boys

Wayne Doenges
CAD Mentor

[Jeffrafa]

We are also a second year team and this year we have a total of 7 girls on our team, mostly because one of our members from last year encouraged all her friends to join. Their attendance is also fairly strong, really only missing because of conflicting jobs, activities, and/or homework assignments.

I've been trying to get my g/f involved but have been unsuccessfull as of yet. Both of us participated in science bowl and the corresponding miniature solar car competition in middle school, and she seemed to be interested in that. The main problem is that she seems to have the same mindset as many other non-FIRST people that I talk to around school, basically that you half to be some sort of genious or something in order to be capable of building a robot, and this is certianly not the case.

I think one of the main points of FIRST is to be able to gain knowledge from experience. Our school has absolutely no industrial arts whatsoever, so starting a FIRST team has given many of my friends and I something we can really get involved in, enjoy, and learn from. Its amazing some of the things that people just don't get the chance to learn without opportunities like FIRST - Things many of us would take for grated and would consider "common knowledge" things - like what a nylon locking nut is, what 'fluid power' means, and basic electronics - like how to crimp and solder wires.

I'm going to continue to encourage my girlfriend to join - who knows, maybe next year i can get her on the team. She is going to come and see the local regional so i'm hoping that will help her to see more of what it is and encourage her to become a part of it. I think a big part of her problem is that she dosen't see where she could really fit in and be invloved on the team, since she's not particularly experienced with mechanical things or into programming and software - but really all it takes is an interest and a willingness to learn.

Anyways, thats my couple of cents - i'm gonna keep trying to talk my g/f into it, until then she's missin out!

Jeff

[dragonrulr288]

Originally Posted by Amanda N.

Well.. as several other people mentioned, it's mostly the stereotype issue. I think a lot of it has to do with how girls in our generation grew up. Just about all of my girl friends grew up as "girly-girls" playing with Barbies because that's what people expected them to play with. Meanwhile, most boys played with Legos and trucks. A majority of these girls stick with the girly stereotype; only with a lot of encouragement and a bit of instruction do they break out of that shell and get involved in something like robotics

I think the other reason for the small amount of female FIRSTers is that they usually feel overshadowed.. because we usually grow up as "girly-girl"s, most of us don't have much experience and don't have the confidence to step in and ask for help.. especially when one of our male classmates is standing there acting like they know everything and you're stupid for not knowing it.. (high school and jr. high guys act like they know wayyyy more than they do )


anywhooo.. I didn't really mean to make my post so long, I just got started and couldn't stop.. Hopefully more girls will discover the joys of robotics and learn to jump in and get involved!!

wow.... i though i would have to type out my opinion, but you nailed mine to a T!!!!

Honestly though, on 216/288 Robodawgs teams, we have 4 girls [including me]. next year, we are losing one, then in two years, we lose 2.... I am trying to convince a friend of mine to join.... She isn't sure she wants to, because she has no prior knowledge. I have tried to tell her that i didn't either at the beginning of this year. If it weren't for one or two people on my team, I would know nearly nothing, and I may have quit... O_O not fun!

whats worse is when people ignore what you are saying because you are a girl... geez I hope that stops, and that no one else has to go through that. its frustrating... even though we are "done" with the season, I will say that some comments still happen... though I have learned to ignore them ^^

oh well, thats my $ .02.....


PS... If any of this came out wrong/ mean sounding, I'm sorry.. apparently I have a way of wording things badly..



EDIT

Originally Posted by kapolavery

.....and also I heard chicks dig nerds.

oh yeah, nerds are the best people to talk to ^.^

[chocolateturtl]

Well, actually most girls who I talk to robotics about think that it's cool that I'm on a team.... I think though that they think 'wow cool, but I could never do that'. Maybe also they're just plain uninterested! I never actually worked on our robot (thought I would've loved to). I went to the meetings more to learn some 3ds Max stuff. I went to the BAE regional, but wasn't really sure why since I didn't know most of the kids on the team, but it turned out to be awesome! It doesn't hurt that we won haha.. we have about 5 girls on the team, give or take a couple (not sure of the exact count).

Since I'm a senior and will be going to school in Florida for computer animation, I'm hoping to become a mentor eventually! I love FIRST.

P.S. I have a thing for nerds

[BHS Bucs]

This year, we had 13 girls and 17 guys on the team. Many of our girls were not involved in build, which is something we are trying to change. We have one female mentor, 3 male mentors, 1 male teacher and 1 female teacher (me!). I'm definitely not a help with the technical side of things, but I do the other important jobs like making sure the robot is shipped.

I have high hopes for the future of the team - but would love to see more of our female students involved on the build side of the team!

[roboguy #1]

Ok first off Usually there are about 2 girls and 5 guys t meetings all the girls that come to meetings on our teem are very helpfull. Really we have a lot of girls about 5 come to meetings which is abou tthe number of boys that cometo meetings. Usually I go to every meeting even if its just me and a co-captain. Today me and a co-captain worked and that was it not and official meeting but only about 5 underlings ever show up and there the same people every time. Me I am always ther meeting or private work.